Aladdin Blood trilogy Story 1:Bad Blood
by Ginger Bizkits
Summary: When Mozenrath captures Aladdin's father, Aladdin races to save him. However, when he arrives, he discovers something shocking, something that could form a strong alliance, or an even stronger war.
1. Chapter 1 Captured

Captured

_Cassim and Iago has been away from Agrabah for three months. It is night time, they are beginning to run out of food, but they get their food from nearby towns. They aren't, however, near any towns- Cassim and Iago are lost._

"That's it. We're dead." Iago said. "If you can get me back to Agrabah, tell Al I wanna be buried with a perch and _lots_ of gold." He flopped onto Cassim's horse's neck.

Cassim looked down at Iago with a smile. "I have no intention of dying any time soon, and neither should you."

Iago sat up. "In case you haven't noticed, we're out in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the night, with no food, no nearby villages, and did I mention-" Iago took a deep breath. "WE, ARE, LOST!" He shouted.

"Not quite, my feathered friend. It will be sunrise in a few hours, and we'll be able to see things more clearly."

"We won't live until morning." Iago said, flopping back down on the horses neck. Cassim gave a little shake on his horse's reins, making him gallop.

"Always the pessimist. Things aren't that bad."

"Always the optimist." Iago retorted.

"Listen- we can't be that lost." Cassim said, pulling his horse to a stop and looking around. "There can't be that many places with black sand."

"WHAT?!" Iago yelled, sitting up. "We're in The Land of The Black Sand! The home of Mozenrath!" He flew into Cassim, trying to hide.

Cassim stared at Iago. "Who's Mozenrath?" He said, trying to calm him.

"Aladdin's sworn enemy! We have to get out of here now!" Iago shrieked in panic.

"I thought you said Mirage was Aladdin's sworn enemy." Cassim looked confused.

"He has too many to count- but trust me. You don't wanna meet Mozenrath." Just then, two figures sprout out of the ground. The come closer, and the figures' green faces became visible to Cassim and Iago. The mamlocks began to approach them, brandishing their swords.

"Mamlocks! Run!" Iago shrieked, but when Cassim reared his horse up to ride away, a large hand formed out of black sand. It grabbed Cassim, and he disappeared.

Iago flew up into the air. "Don't worry! I'll get Al!" He shouted at the black sand, before flying away.

A third figure came out of the sand and watched Iago fly away. "Yes. Get Aladdin." Mozenrath laughed. He looked down at the captured Cassim. "Aladdin the hero will come to save this intruder."


	2. Chapter 2 Heroic Types

Heroic types

_Iago has been flying for about three hours, and he is exhausted. He has stopped flapping and is lying in the sand, and the sun is only just beginning to rise._

Iago lay in the sand, breathing heavily. He knew he would be able to reach Agrabah- he had once, when he was on the ship that belonged to the forty thieves he had made it, but know he he was weak from lack off food.

Iago struggled, but the wind began to bury him underneath the sand. Iago began to think desperately about how he could get back to Agrabah before Mozenrath did something to Cassim- it was then the solution came to him, although he disliked it.

"Genie!" He shouted the irritating blue creature's name.."Genie!" He paused. "Stupid genie. Completely useless in a crisis- AHH!" A large swirl of familiar pink magic surrounded him and quickly whisked him away.

_In Agrabah, Aladdin is waiting for Jasmine, who is getting ready for their day out. Carpet, Genie and Abu are coming too. Jasmine is taking her time, so Aladdin and Genie begin talking, but Genie stops in mid-sentence and shoots a pink stream of magic from his finger and out of the window._

"What was that for?" Aladdin asked, looking at Genie puzzled.

"I'm sure the answer will drop in shortly." Genie said in his usual voice that didn't sound right if he wasn't smiling. Aladdin chose not to ask any further, but wait for a moment to see.

_Upstairs, Jasmine is searching through her wardrobes and Rajah is watching- it is obvious that Jasmine having trouble choosing a dress that fits her purposes._

"Oh, Rajah." Jasmine sighed as she looked into her wardrobe. "How will I be able to tell Aladdin?" She turned around to look at Rajah. "Will he be mad for keeping it a secret for so long?" Jasmine asked, sadly. The tiger growled and shook his head.

"I hope you are right." She said, picking out a deep purple dress.

_Back downstairs, Genie keeps looking out the window. Aladdin looked at him questioningly, and was about to ask when Jasmine appeared._

_Aladdin stared at her in awe. The purple dress Jasmine was wearing was tight on her top half, but flared out underneath her bust- which she had chosen purposefully to cover up her stomach. The shoes she wore were pale green, and so was the jewel on the necklace she was wearing. Her hair was loose for once._

"Jasmine..." Aladdin said, standing up and making his way towards her. Carpet hovered beside her. They both stepped onto Carpet, when Genie appeared behind them with a_ poof._

"I don't mean to spoil your date Al, but I think you're gonna want to see this." He said, apologetically.

"See what?" Jasmine asked.

"Well..." Genie began, but he was cut off by a loud and familiar shrieking, as Iago crashed to the floor. Iago got up and shook himself. He immediately flew up and began yelling in Genie's face.

"_What the heck were you doing, you big, dumb, blue moron! Look at me!_" He began pulling out his feathers, which were now black. "_My feathers are BLACK! Just like that black sand that KIDNAPPED CASSIM!_"

Aladdin gasped and grabbed Iago's tail. "What?!"

"Mozenrath's black sand has kidnapped your father! A bunch of Mamlocks appeared and _bam_! We were attacked."

"I'm sorry, Jasmine, but-"

"I know, Aladdin. Our date can be cancelled." Jasmine said, putting her hand on his shoulder. Once Abu and the weary Iago got on, Carpet took off with Genie flying behind.

"Lucky you guys are the heroic types." Iago muttered, before fainting.


	3. Chapter 3 Unwanted Questions

Captured

Unwanted Questions

_In the Land of the Black Sand, Mozenrath has taken Cassim to his citadel and has him locked up in a cage made of hardened black sand, which is hanging in the place of a chandelier._ _Cassim looks perfectly comfortable, until he hears what Mozenrath is saying to his mamlocks. _

"Why are you still here? You should all be out there, ready for him! He must be captured before he reaches the citadel! If there's one small opening,_ Aladdin,_" Mozenrath sneered his name. "will find it. Now go."

"What's this issue you have with Aladdin, anyway?" Cassim called, hoping to distract Mozenrath from his plot, but Mozenrath ignored him and began examining some strange-looking items from some shelves. Cassim tried again.

"What are all of those things?" Cassim said, in what he hoped was an annoying voice. Yet again Mozenrath ignored him.

Cassim began to enjoy himself. He was used to hearing Iago tell him over and over about how annoying the genie's voice was, so he tried it out, hoping his tone would match the genie's- plus some of these questions had answers he wanted to know.

"What was your name, again? What were those green-faced things? Oh, and what-" Mozenrath finally snapped.

"_Are you not familiar with the requirements of being held hostage?"_ Mozenrath bellowed and spun round. "Strange that you don't, considering you know Aladdin, his friends are always being held hostage on his behalf..." He paused. "Anyway, all you have to do is sit in quietly your cage, maybe say something like... oh I don't know, "he'll never fall for your trap,", but we all know that's so cliché, and it gets so old."

"Not to mention if I said that he would turn up instantly." Cassim pointed out. Mozenrath turned away from him. "So... Mozenrath is an unusual name... were you always called that?"

"The requirements of being held hostage..." Mozenrath warned.

"Remember them, remember!" Xerxes said, popping up behind Cassim. Cassim leant away from him in disgust.

"What is that?" He asked, revolted.

"Requirements, hostage!" Xerxes said again, before flying down to hover above Mozenrath's shoulder.

"Mozenrath..." Cassim said again. "You know, my first son was called Mozen."

Mozenrath stood up straight, and turned to look up at Cassim. "Not that I care, but what happened to him?"

"Well," Cassim said, upset that he has to repeat the sad story but happy to distract Mozenrath and save his remaining son, Aladdin.

"myself and my wife- who was pregnant-took Mozen to see a magic show when he was three- he was very advanced for his age- and he loved it.

"The magician's tricks were amazing, but the he obviously wasn't into the show. He kept coming back to Mozen for all the demonstrations, until one went wrong. Mozen disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and the magician quickly packed up and took off. We never saw him or Mozen again."

Cassim dropped his head and grabbed a handful of the black sand. Mozenrath shook himself. "What was the magician's name?"

"Destane. When I get my hands on him..." Cassim crushed the black sand in his hands.

Mozenrath froze, staring up at Cassim in wonder. He raised his hand, and with a quick slicing motion, the black sand cage became wet, and dropped to the floor- with Cassim too.

"Hey-" Cassim began, but the black now goo-like sand was holding him down.

"So," Mozenrath said in a deadly voice. "You let him go? Just like that?"

"I thought you didn't care." Cassim said. "All right!" he added hastily after Mozenrath stared at him. _If looks could kill... _

"I swore revenge." Cassim continued. "I spent all the times I wasn't working trying to track him down. I began spending my working days looking too. I lost my job- and I had to leave Agrabah to find more money. I gave my wife a dagger, and told her to give it to our newborn son. I never found Destane to get revenge on him for taking my son away from me."

Mozenrath began thinking. He had a new reason to hate his old mentor- but this man obviously hated him more.

"Xerxes!" Mozenrath shouted. The eel immediately appeared over his shoulder. "Go get Destane."

"Get Destane, get Destane." The eel said, zipping around Cassim's head. Cassim stared at him in shock.

"Did he say-?" Cassim began.

"Yes. He was my mentor. He taught me everything I know, but he wasn't too nice. I'm not for the whole 'treat other people how you'd like to be treated' but I can make exceptions. Ah, here he is."

Cassim stared open-mouthed at the mamlock that had just entered. It appeared to be the same as the others, but it's skin was a different shade. Instead of turquoise, it was green and his clothes were different too.

"Meet Destane. Here you go." Mozenrath tossed Cassim a nearby sword and Cassim caught it. "You can pay him back for taking your son."

As the Destane mamlock drew closer, Cassim began taking out his anger, and he began fighting the mamlock.


	4. Chapter 4 A Forgotten Ultimatum

A Forgotten Ultimatum

_Aladdin and the others are just arriving at The Land of the Black Sand. Carpet is flying high to avoid Mozenrath's magic sensors, when they hear a voice coming from a high window. As Carpet flies closer, Aladdin and the others peer in. Jasmine gasps._

_Cassim has his feet stuck in black sand, and he is swinging a sword at an attacking mamlock. He appears to be losing, and he is trapped by the sand._

"Carpet let's move!" Aladdin said urgently. Carpet immediately swooped in. Aladdin grabbed his father's arms, making him drop the sword, and Aladdin began to pull while Genie turned in to a baseball player and whacked the mamlock, which went flying through the air.

"HOMERUN!" Genie yelled.

"Wait!" Cassim shouted. "You have to leave! Mozen is still here!"

"Mozenrath?!" Iago shrieked. "Where?" He hid behind Abu, who immediately shoved him away. "I wasn't going to stay there anyway." Iago retorted. "I had forgotten how bad you smelt." Abu began chattering angrily at Iago.

"Yes Dad, I know Mozenrath is still around here somewhere that's why we have to get you out of here." Aladdin said, still pulling on his arms. Genie and Jasmine began pulling too.

"No, you don't understand! He-" Cassim began, but a swirl of Mozenrath's magic passed over Cassim, Aladdin and the others. They all instantly disappeared.

_Aladdin awoke in the middle of an empty, circular room, which he recognized as the room that had once contained the Crystal of Ix, which Mozenrath had trapped Genie inside. He looked around and spotted Mozenrath standing nearby. Aladdin charged towards him, but fell to the floor. Turning his head back, Aladdin saw a chain tied around his right ankle and the floor._

"Hmm... just for good measure..." Mozenrath said, sending out a jet of magic which transformed into shackles that tied Aladdin's hands behind his back.

"I see you got your gauntlet back." Aladdin muttered.

"It was too easy for Xerxes to simply fly in and grab it. Honestly Aladdin, if I were you, I would have fired your guards long ago." Then his tone changed from mocking to angry. "Though mine weren't much better today either."

"What have you done with-"

"Your pitiful friends?" Mozenrath asked. "Well, why bother telling you, when..."

"He can show you!" Xerxes shouted.

With a wave of his gauntlet-encased hand, Mozenrath raised four black blobs of black sand around him in a big ring, which slowly dripped away to reveal Aladdin's friends, all locked in cages of some sort.

Genie was sleeping in a large bottle and Carpet was in there too- lying at the bottom, Iago and Abu were both unconscious in a net with holes so tiny not even Abu could fit through them, and Cassim and Jasmine were both locked in separate cages. None of them were awake either.

"What do you want Mozenrath? If you let them go?" Aladdin asked immediately.

"You think anything would make me want to let them all go? They wouldn't stop until you were free too. No." Mozenrath began to laugh, and Xerxes echoed it. Aladdin looked around, desperately looking for a way out.

"Besides," Mozenrath said loudly, purposefully to draw Aladdin's attention back to him. "I'm sure I could find some use for each of them..." Mozenrath leant against Jasmine's cage. "True, they would all be different, but still..."

"Stay away from her!" Aladdin snarled.

"All right, fine." Mozenrath stepped away from Jasmine. "You can choose one of your friends to go free but that is it." Mozenrath paused. "Unless you choose the princess, then that counts for two, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked suspiciously. Mozenrath's laughter echoed throughout the citadel.

"She hasn't told you? This is too good." Mozenrath clicked his fingers, and Jasmine woke up, and immediately placed her hand over her stomach. Aladdin gasped, and Jasmine turned to face him.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried. She looked around at th scene around her. It looked hopeless. Genie- wearing a nightcap- was sleeping on a pillow. Even if Genie wasn't asleep, he was trapped in a bottle, therefore, helpless.

"Tell me Aladdin, how does it feel- knowing that I knew before you?" Mozenrath smiled. Aladdin stared at the floor. Mozenrath was just trying to provoke him. Mozenrath frowned, and sent a stream of magic which spun around Jasmine menacingly.

What are you doing?" Aladdin shouted. Jasmine was lifted into the air. She gasped, then gave a cry of pain. "No! Stop!" He began struggling against his chains, and fell onto his stomach. He desperately tried to sit up, but couldn't as his hands were fastened behind his back.

"Aladdin..." Jasmine whispered, visibly weaker.

"Mozenrath stop! I'll do anything!" Aladdin burst out unthinkingly.

"Really?" Mozenrath swooped down on the outburst, and shadowed over Aladdin. Jasmine fell to the bottom of her cage. "Well in that case, I'll remind you of something I said earlier." Mozenrath straightened up. "But first...." Mozenrath shot magic from his gauntlet, which flew around everyone, waking them up.

"Attention everyone!" Mozenrath called cheerily as they stirred. "Aladdin has just informed me that he would do anything if I stopped hurting the princess. So, I'll say... Aladdin, choose a friend to be sent back to Agrabah. The others will stay here and meet their end. Who will it be?"

Aladdin simply stared at him, then looked at everyone else. H made up his mind: if he choose Genie, he could free everyone. Aladdin pretended to be torn. This pleased Mozenrath.

"Alas... who to choose?" Mozenrath grabbed Aladdin's shoulder and turned to face him towards each of his friends. "Your princess and your unborn child? Or-"

"There's an Al junior on the way? Oh, congratulations!" Genie cried, making blue balloons appear inside his bubble along with other various baby-related items. "Wait... what if Al Junior is actually a Jasmine Junior?!" The items turned pink. "Nah..." Genie said. The items turned yellow. "Much better!" The items then disappeared. Jasmine hung her head.

"-one of the comic relief, or..." Mozenrath paused on Cassim- who still looked sleepy.

"My father?" Aladdin supplied. He was immediately thrown backwards.

"What?!" Mozenrath snarled. Cassim's cage flew forward and vanished, and Cassim had chains just like Aladdin's. Cassim stared at the ground looking guilty. "His father? You are his father?"

"Yes." Cassim muttered, staring at the ground.

"What's wrong with that?" Genie called from his bottle.

"Everything!" Mozenrath roared. "If what _he_ says is true!" Mozenrath pointed furiously at Cassim, who looked from Mozenrath to Aladdin.

"What did you say, Dad?" Aladdin asked nervously.

"I told him what happened before you were born."

"What happened before he was born? Do I know this one? Have you told me before?" Iago yelled from his cage. Abu shoved him.

"I had a son before you, Aladdin." Cassim said sadly. "One day, your mother- who was pregnant with you – and I, took him to see a magician when he was three. The magician kept coming to our son, who would help him for the demonstrations. He loved it, but then something went wrong on one of the tricks- our son disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and the magician quickly left. We never saw the magician of our son again.

"That's how we became poor- I spent all the times I wasn't working trying to find the magician to make him pay, but I began spending my working days looking too, I could no longer work, I had to leave Agrabah... and you know the rest."

"Oh Dad..." Aladdin shifted towards him. Genie began crying noisily, and Carpet had to duck to avoid being drenched. "But I still don't see what that has to do with _him_." Aladdin glared at Mozenrath.

"His son's name was Mozen. The magician's was Destane. Fill in the blank." Mozenrath shouted furiously. Aladdin looked at Cassim, who nodded.

"That makes you... his son?" Aladdin stared at Mozenrath.

"You're missing the point." Mozenrath said, testily.

"Al- he's Cassim's son, you're Cassim's son, that makes you two...?" Iago said.

"...Brothers?" Aladdin said.


	5. Chapter 5 Tangling Of Brothers

Tangling of Brothers

"No. _No_. It's not true." Aladdin said, shaking his head. "I don't believe you."

Cassim looked at him. "I'm sorry Aladdin, if you two have had your differences, but-"

"Had our differences? Don't make me laugh." Mozenrath said darkly, raising his hand. Cassim gasped. Mozenrath hurled a large black and blue stream of magic at Aladdin.

With a yell Aladdin spun round, holding his restrained hands next to the chain around his ankle. The magic sliced straight through both chains. Aladdin stood up quickly and began heading towards Mozenrath.

"No!" Mozenrath wailed, firing another shot of magic, which Aladdin dodged again by jumping over it. Aladdin ran over to Mozenrath, dropped to a crouching position, tripped Mozenrath up and wrestled the gauntlet of off him.

"Give that back!" Mozenrath shouted, making a grab for Aladdin.

"Aladdin, look out!" Jasmine cried.

Aladdin and Mozenrath began struggling, then there was a flash. When the light cleared, everyone gasped- except Iago, who screeched, and Abu, who screeched, then fainted.

Mozenrath was wearing what Aladdin was wearing before: a pale grey shirt, a navy blue vest, and Aladdin's traditional trousers, whilst Aladdin....

Aladdin was wearing Mozenrath's clothes: the turban, fabric around his neck, the cape- everything, right down to the gauntlet. "What? No!" Mozenrath cried.

Aladdin pulled the gauntlet off, and cried out in horror. "Yeurgh!" Iago shrieked.

His right hand had been reduced to bone. "Mozenrath! What have you done?" Aladdin yelled.

"I didn't do anything!" Mozenrath held up his hands, then stopped. _His _right hand had been returned to normal.

"Genie!" Aladdin cried, stretching his hand out towards the bottle.

"No, wait!" Mozenrath began, but it was too late- a jet of magic shot out of the gauntlet, and headed towards Genie and Carpet.

"Yah!" Genie said, ducking. The magic smashed the bottle, and Genie and Carpet were free.

"You can't just wave your arms around like that!" Mozenrath said, angrily.

"Al!" Genie said, appearing behind Aladdin. "What happened?"

"I don't know Genie- one minute I was trying to get the gauntlet away from Mozenrath, then there was a flash and I'm dressed like this." Aladdin then frowned. Staring at his hand, he gave it a wave. Instantly, Jasmine, Cassim and Abu and Iago were free.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine said running over. "Aladdin- your hand..." Iago flew over and landed on Aladdin's shoulder.

"I don't mean this badly, but this really isn't the look for you." Iago commented.

"I know, Iago."Aladdin said. "We have to reverse this somehow. I want my hand back."

"I know what to do." Mozenrath reached forward and grabbed Aladdin's wrist and pulled off the gauntlet, revealing the bones below. Mozenrath then slid the gauntlet onto his own hand, and the flash appeared again.

Everyone shielded their eyes until the flash cleared. There stood Aladdin- although he was still wearing the gauntlet, he was normal. Mozenrath was back to normal too- though his gauntlet was now on Aladdin's wrist.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine said joyfully, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her head into his chest.

Mozenrath was looking down at himself in horror. "Genie..." He muttered. "Um- help?" Cassim, Genie, Iago, Abu and Carpet all looked at Mozenrath. Mozenrath looked up at them. "It isn't good, is it?" Mozenrath said- only it was Aladdin's voice.

"Aladdin?" Cassim asked.

"Er- yeah?" Mozenrath looked up in despair.

"You're Aladdin?" Iago asked in shock.

"And I'm stuck in Mozenrath's body!" Aladdin touched Mozenrath's face with Mozenrath's hands. Then he groaned. "And I still have this bone hand."

"So if you're Al..." Genie said, turning away, "then that means that's Mozenrath!" He pointed at Jasmine, who had her face against Aladdin's chest- or Mozenrath's.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin said in horror. Jasmine looked up at who she believed to be Aladdin and smiled. Mozenrath smiled down at her and their lips touched.

"Jasmine,_ wait!"_Aladdin's voice sounded behind her, and the skeletal hand yanked her back. She spun round to find 'Mozenrath' holding her arm. She swung it out and backed into 'Aladdin', whose arms wrapped around her.

"Let her go, Mozenrath!" Aladdin shouted.

"What?" Jasmine said, looking at 'Aladdin', who had his chin on her shoulder.

"Alas..." Mozenrath's voice spoke back to her. "She realizes her mistake." Xerxes appeared over his shoulder. "Do you know what that means, Xerxes?"

"No more-" Xerxes blew a noisy kiss. "MWA!"

Jasmine gave a shriek and tried to get free. "Let go!" But Mozenrath wasn't letting her move.

"Ah. I guess that makes me Mozenrath, doesn't it?" Mozenrath said. "Shame. I was enjoying the princess's special treatment."

Jasmine wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, and shuddered.

"Let her go!" Aladdin said, and began running forwards. Mozenrath aimed some magic at Aladdin, which Aladdin attempted to dodge, but Mozenrath's body wasn't as strong as his was. He crashed to the floor.

"Oh Aladdin," Mozenrath smiled, with Aladdin's face. "Don't do anything stupid." The gauntlet lit up threateningly. Mozenrath pointed one glowing finger at Jasmine's neck. "Or..." Jasmine gasped.

Aladdin lay on the floor, glaring at Mozenrath. "So. You got what you wanted. My body. What do you want it for, anyway?"

Mozenrath laughed. "I'll never get used to that." Iago muttered to Abu.

"Uh-uh." Abu said.

"Well, originally, I needed it. The gauntlet was draining me- my body was weakening. I needed a knew young, agile body." Mozenrath's smile looked even more threatening coming from Aladdin."You made the cut."

"Made the cut, made the cut!" Xerxes shouted, flying around Aladdin's head. Aladdin swiped at him.

"But after that little episode of being stuck inside you, my body regained its strength, and I no longer needed you."

"So why do you want Aladdin now?" Jasmine asked.

"Mainly, for _this_." Mozenrath twisted Jasmine's arm behind her back, and she gasped. "I'm enjoying this new strength." He twisted Jasmine's arm harder, and she cried out.

That was the final straw for Aladdin. He leapt at Mozenrath, knocking Jasmine aside. "Do what you want to me," He snarled, "but don't hurt Jasmine."

Mozenrath kicked Aladdin in the chest, causing Aladdin to fall onto the floor. "Sorry to burden you with reality, but Jasmine will never want you looking like that."

Aladdin pulled a face. Jasmine looked furious. She remembered how Aladdin refused to leave her when Mirage had cursed her into a snake. Even when she almost killed him with her venomous barbs.

Jasmine leapt onto Mozenrath's back, and grabbed his hair. Mozenrath yelled and tried to pull her off. Aladdin took this opportunity to try to attack Mozenrath, but he was too quick with Aladdin's body's reflexes. He blasted Aladdin to the floor.

"Okay, fine. I'll change us back." Mozenrath groaned. "And don't bother attacking me, unless you want Aladdin's body back in damaged."


	6. Chapter 6 A Deterred Exit

A Deterred Exit

"I don't know..." Genie said, looking warily at the two boards, which were upright. Last time he had seen these, Aladdin had been strapped down to one. "It went wrong last time."

"Because of you." Mozenrath said. "This time, just watch. Don't interfere." He walked over to Aladdin and gave him a shove. Aladdin staggered backwards into the left board and metal shackles closed around his wrists and ankles, holding him in place.

"How can you live like this?" Aladdin complained.

"What? My body Not as strong as yours?" Mozenrath laughed. "You would get used to it."

"No way." Aladdin shook his head. Mozenrath laughed again, and Aladdin grimaced. "You do not know how weird it is to see myself laughing at me."

"I think I do. I can see myself grimacing at me." Mozenrath laughed again, his deep laugh coming from Aladdin's body just looked unnatural. Mozenrath leant against the other wooden board. Metal shackles closed down on his wrists and ankles too- then the transference began.

_The wooden beds began to lie back, until they were vertical. Then a glass instrument hangs above them: it is a large glass ball (containing a light green diamond, which has dark green stripes), with two glass tubes coming from it on either side. The ends of the tubes are placed above Aladdin's and Mozenrath's faces. _

_A stream of red comes from Aladdin's body- this is Mozenrath's spirit. It travels up the glass tube and colours the dark green stripes of the diamond red. The same thing happens to Mozenrath's body: Aladdin's golden spirit leaves and travels up the tube, colouring in the light green part of the diamond. The spirits then switch over: Mozenrath's red spirit travels into his own body, and Aladdin's golden spirit travels into his body. _

_The glass instrument then lifts up._

Aladdin stirred. "Ohhh." He groaned. Then he opened his eyes. "Jasmine?" He asked.

"Right here" Jasmine came over and held his hand against her cheek.

"Am I me again?"

"Yes." Jasmine smiled. Abu leapt up beside Aladdin and began chattering happily. Iago flews beside him too, and Carpet hovered beside him whilst Genie undid his shackles.

Cassim however, went over to Mozenrath, and helped him up. Mozenrath stared at him for a moment then half-smiled. Xerxes flew around his head a few times. "Master!" He said happily.

Mozenrath took a hesitant step towards Aladdin and his friends, who all turned around to look at him. He raised his right hand to wave, then noticed it was completely healed. "I guess I owe you, Aladdin. Looks like being in your body has helped me again. Now," He held out his new hand. "Gauntlet."

"I dunno..." Aladdin peeled it off of his hand and held it behind him.

"Come on. You saw how useless I am without it." Mozenrath smiled, and it wasn't a sneer- which Aladdin was not used to.

"What are you going to do if Aladdin gives it back?" Jasmine said, hugging Aladdin.

"Cancel my mamlocks' orders to kill you the minute they see you." Mozenrath's hand was still outstretched. "Sorry about that one...." Mozenrath paused for a moment, and looked at Xerxes.

"Little brother." Xerxes said. Aladdin blinked slightly and looked at Cassim- who was standing behind Mozenrath- for guidance. Cassim nodded once. Aladdin swallowed and held out the gauntlet. Mozenrath took it and put it on- and it glowed.

"Mamlocks- forget my previous command and patrol the city- no longer attack Aladdin and his group. If anyone trespasses, bring them to me." He then let a ribbon of blue magic escape out the window to inform the mamlocks of his new orders.

Mozenrath then turned and began moving around potions on a wooden table nearby. He didn't appear to be looking for anything- just looking for an excuse not to look at Aladdin and his friends, who were all watching him.

"Go before I change my mind." Mozenrath said without turning.

Aladdin took a step away from Jasmine. "Mozenrath," he said hesitantly. Mozenrath turned and looked at him expectantly. "Thank you." Mozenrath frowned, then nodded and turned around again.

Aladdin, Jasmine, Cassim and Abu climbed onto Carpet, and Iago and Genie got ready to fly behind them, when Iago gave a shriek that made everyone turn around- even Mozenrath.

A green mamlock hand was crawling across the floor, very quickly towards Carpet, and it seized Aladdin's ankle.

"Hey! Get off me!" Aladdin kicked his leg around, trying to free it from the mamlock's hand. "I thought you were calling them off!"

"I did, but as usual, Destane is the last to obey." Mozenrath lazily flicked a blue spark which paralysed the hand. Aladdin pulled it off.

"Bleurgh." Abu said, prodding the hand with one finger.

"Xerxes- go get the rest of that particularly slow mamlock." Mozenrath handed Xerxes a sack, which he took in his mouth and flew out the room. (_"Slow mamlock, slow mamlock,"_).

Aladdin picked up the hand, grimacing at it. "I know I've said it before, but I'm never going to get used to these." He held up the hand, disgusted.

Xerxes flew back in carrying the bulging sack in his mouth. He dropped it to the floor, and it opened. Destane the Mamlock climbed out, and knelt before Mozenrath.

Mozenrath towered over him. "Did you choose to ignore my previous command? You worthless shambling mamlock." The gauntlet glowed. "Patrol the city- no longer attack Aladdin and his group. If you find anyone trespassing, bring them to me."

He pointed a finger at the mamlock's head, sending a curl of magic to fly around it's head. "Now go." Mozenrath said.

The mamlock began to walk slowly backwards. Mozenrath turned his head to look at Aladdin and his father. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but he was interrupted.

"_I will no longer obey you._" Destane hissed. Mozenrath spun round to look at the mamlock.

"What?" He gasped. "When did you start talking?"

For an answer, Destane picked up a potion bottle from the shelf behind him. _"I became a powerful sorcerer. I stole you away, and began to teach you magic, so I could ultimately drain you of your power to increase my own... but then you overpowered me. I won't let you do that again."_ Destane drew back his arm and threw the potion.

It landed on the floor, exploding and blasting everyone to the ground. Destane grabbed another, which flew towards Jasmine and Aladdin. Mozenrath quickly deflected it with his gauntlet's power.

"Did the whiz-kid just save you?" Genie asked in amazement. Destane threw another potion, directly at Mozenrath. Aladdin quickly got up and knocked Mozenrath out of the way, leaving them both on the floor. Mozenrath stared at him for a moment in shock, when Destane spoke.

"_Foolissh boy- he'sss not worth it. Ssstay out of the way whilsssst I finish him, and maybe I'll let you live."_ Destane's voice sounded like metal grating together in an echo-y cave.

"What would you know?" Aladdin said angrily.

"_Thissss..."_ Destane threw one last potion: it was in a tall, twisted bottle. Aladdin tried to dodge, but it smashed on the side of his face.

"Ah!" Aladdin dropped to the floor. Mozenrath blasted Destane with magic, then Destane disappeared.

"Aladdin?" Jasmine asked, looking worried.

Aladdin sat up and groaned, putting his hand to his head. "Huh?" Aladdin pulled it back, to discover it was covered in greyish blue goo. The contents of the potion bottle. Aladdin stared at the stuff on his hands. "Mozenrath... what does this stuff do?"

Mozenrath looked at the potion, then at Xerxes. "Uh-oh." Said Xerxes. Mozenrath looked at Aladdin.

"Destane made that potion to create a familiar." Mozenrath said.

"What?" Aladdin gasped.

"A familiar is an animal companion that helps a witch, sorcerer... that sort of thing, complete magic." Iago said. He rubbed his left wing against his chest, as if he were shining fingernails on it. Iago examined his feathers. "I guess you could consider me Jafar's familiar."

"I know what a familiar is!" Aladdin said angrily.

"Aladdin- Xerxes is my familiar... " Mozenrath was talking to Aladdin without using sarcasm... not something Aladdin was used to. "I used that potion to make an ordinary eel fly and speak. But- if you become a familiar, it will be Destane's... if his spirit stays nearby, you will have to do his bidding."

"But- there must be a way to stop it- right?" Cassim asked. He looked at Aladdin. "Get it off your skin, quick."

Aladdin wiped it off of his face and hair with his hand. He held his dripping hand out, looking for something to wipe the potion onto.

"Whatever you wipe it on will become a familiar you know." Mozenrath said. "Either way- Destane is going to end up with a familiar."

"What if Destane has left? Then won't it not matter?" Jasmine asked.

"_Surprisssssse_..." A voice whistled past everyone. _"I quite like the idea of this boy being my familiar..." _The grey potion dripping from Aladdin's hand quickly absorbed into his skin.

"Argh!" Aladdin shook his hand, but the potion was gone... completely. Aladdin pinched his skin with his forefinger and thumb, trying to squeeze the potion out. "Ow." He stopped, and looked at Mozenrath, then his friends.

"Genie- do you know any cures? The Tree of Renewal? Er... would the Elixir of Life work?" Aladdin asked looking at his big blue friend.

"Sorry Al. The Elixir won't cure this sort of thing, and the Tree... the Tree of Renewal's fruits can only be eaten once per person." Genie hovered over Aladdin and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Iago put his wings to his head. "And you've already had your once-in-a-lifetime offer!" Iago said in the high voice that usually comes before screaming or sobbing, then he abruptly went back to his normal mood. "That's it. Say goodbye to Al. He's gonna be turned into Destane's little pet."

"Why you-" Abu chirped angrily.

"What? Someone's gotta be the one to say it." Iago said defensively. "It's true."

"No." Mozenrath said, shocking everyone except Cassim. "I won't let it happen."

"Huh?" Aladdin said, staring at Mozenrath in bewilderment.

"Aladdin cannot be turned into a familiar!" Mozenrath stood up. "He would do whatever Destane wants him to do."

Jasmine stepped forward. "And let me guess," Jasmine said, sarcasticly, "you aren't Destane's favourite person, are you?" Destane's spooky laughter scraped through the echo-y lab.

"If you put it mildly." Mozenrath said dryly.

"Not to mention you go through a huge change in personality." Iago added. "With me... I'm totally the opposite. Number one," He held up his left wing, and began counting off.

"I used to love those disgusting, dry, mouldy crackers. Two: I couldn't say anything other than," he shuddered, and talked in his annoying normal parrot voice. "_Polly want a cracker! _And number three: I was so dumb! I couldn't even understand what people were saying till Jafar came along."

"And pain." Xerxes said, flying over Iago. "Pain."

"Oh yeah. And when you change... _IT REALLY HURTS!" _Iago screamed.

"Not helping guys." Aladdin stood up. He looked down at himself. "Nothings happening."

"The change only comes on when Destane wishes it," Mozenrath looked around warily. "though I cannot predict when he wishes to begin the change."

"_My will cannot be predicted- not by the likes of you!"_ Destane's haunted voice chilled everyone. Abu shuddered. Destane began to laugh, and a black and green mist formed in the air. It quickly swooped towards Aladdin, who backed off.

"A little help?" He asked weakly as the mist swirled towards him. The mist swung at him repeatedly, but Aladdin kept dodging.

"No problem!" Genie turned into a giant electric fan and began to try and blow the mist away. The mist shifted slightly, but didn't blow away. Instead it turned and whacked Genie flying, before heading back to Aladdin, forming a curved shape to trap him against the wall.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine jumped onto Carpet alongside Iago and Abu. Carpet flew above Aladdin whilst the others pulled him up, but the mist wrapped around his ankle and yanked him to the floor. Aladdin groaned as he hit the hard stone.

Mozenrath stretched out his arm and a ball of blue flames hit the mist which hovered menacingly over Aladdin. It had no effect.

"_Are you trying to rush me, Mozenrath? Consider me rushed._" Destane's voice blew through Mozenrath's hair.

The mist split into two separate wisps: one half held Aladdin down, whilst the other half formed into a long, thin shape with a point on the end, which was inches away from Aladdin's neck. Aladdin began struggling, but he could barely move. The room was soon filled with a strong wind, and Destane's mist disappeared into Aladdin's face, making him cry out in pain.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried, and jumped off of Carpet, landing beside Aladdin. She knelt down beside him and pulled him into a sitting position.

"Ohhh..." Aladdin groaned, putting a hand to his head.

"Aladdin?" Mozenrath asked, leaning back slightly, clearly cautious.

"Uh-huh?" Aladdin mumbled, eyes half shut. Jasmine put her hands on his shoulders to hold him upright.

"Do you still feel like yourself? Are you still an annoying street rat rather than Destane's new pet?" Mozenrath asked.

"I guess so..." Aladdin said sleepily, his voice drifting off and his eyes closing as he slumped into Jasmine. She opened her mouth in panic, and shook him.

"Aladdin? He's not waking up! What's the matter with him?" She looked up desperately.

"_He is merely... preparing._" Destane taunted them with mock-thinking tone of voice.

"Preparing for what?" Cassim said to the ceiling, looking for the source of Destane's voice.

"_This."_ Destane snarled, and Aladdin yelled, his back arching. Destane laughed, and his voice faded away. Aladdin continued to yell and cry out in pain. Aladdin rolled on the floor in agony.

"Aladdin!" Cassim rushed over and dropped to the floor beside his younger son, and held him still. Carpet- carrying Iago and Abu- hovered beside Aladdin. Xerxes flew up to join them.

"Remember pain?" He asked Iago.

"Yeah- poor Al." Iago peered down at Aladdin, then he jumped. "Why am I talking to you? Beat it." Xerxes flew to Mozenrath's shoulder.

Destane's voice filled the small room. _"I think that went well... I like thisss game. I'm going to make this a long process." _Aladdin gave one last judder, then everyone gasped he opened his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7 Browsing for The Cure

Browsing For the Cure

Everyone stared in shock at Aladdin, who was lying on his back. His eyes were open, and he took in their horrified faces.

"What? What's happened to me?" Aladdin asked, dreading the reply.

"Oh, Aladdin..." Jasmine looked like she was going to cry. She hugged him.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Aladdin said, looking miserably at the floor.

"Well..." Genie said, in his usual cheering-up voice, but it wavered slightly. Aladdin got up, and walked over to Mozenrath's mirror- it was simple, rectangular, and its frame was made of dull wood.

Aladdin gasped. He glanced back at everyone, then took a step closer to the mirror to inspect his eyes closer. He then swallowed. "It's not that bad... I mean, I can still see normally..." He was trying to be optimistic- it was obvious to everyone else.

Aladdin's irises- which were a reddish brown- had expanded, completely covering the whites of his eyes, and his pupils had become like a cat's.

"Aladdin," Jasmine came up behind him and held onto his arm. "We'll be able to cure you." No one noticed Mozenrath slip out the room with Xerxes.

"But we don't know the cure." Iago commented in his its-all-over- voice. Abu glared at him and Iago flinched.

"Bet wonder-boy knows a cure." Genie said.

"Why would he tell us? He hates me." Aladdin said sadly.

"We'll make him talk." Genie turned into a soldier from World War One, and pointed a gun in front of him menacingly. Then there was a bang as the gun shot. The mirror cracked as the bullet hit it directly next to Aladdin's head.

"Heh heh... oops." Genie turned back to normal.

"Seven years bad luck you moron! Do we need any more bad luck? I don't think so!" Iago yelled.

Abu glared at Iago again, but then he stopped. "Huh?" He asked in shock.

"What now?" Iago grumbled.

"He's gone." Abu said.

"Who?" Iago squawked irritably.

Abu slapped his hand to his forehead and began making his chattering noise, but stopped as Mozenrath slammed open the door noisily, carrying a large book, which he dropped onto the table with a loud bang. "I assume you meant him?" Iago said.

Mozenrath flipped through the book then stopped. "Here it is."

Cassim peered over his shoulder. "The Familiar Generation Potion?" He asked. The picture of that potion was a clear crystal blue. "Why was that potion grey? This ones blue."

"It was an old potion. It's been on the shelf a while." Mozenrath snapped, then he began to read aloud. "_**The Familiar Generation Potion: Antidote**_**."**

Everyone was turned towards Mozenrath. Jasmine and Aladdin held each other, Carpet was hovering in the air, and Abu and Iago were peering over. Genie had turned into Sherlock Holmes and was taking notes on a notepad.

"_**To prevent the effects of the Familiar Generation Potion**__,_" Mozenrath read, Xerxes lurking above him, "_**the one who applied the potion must simply cancel its effects.**_"

"Oh great. I don't think Destane is gonna do that for us." Iago grumbled.

"_**If the one who applied the potion is unwilling to cancel the effects," **_Mozenrath continued,_** "one needs the Separation Blade. When swung, the blade will break the control the wizard or witch **__**has over the subject."**_

"The Blade of Separation?" Cassim said, frowning. "Never heard of it. Do you know where you can find it?"

"Didn't that get destroyed because a wizard's subjects used it to separate themselves from their him to attack him?" Iago asked.

"Nope." Genie said, back into his normal self with a poof. "It was taken to somewhere. With a puff of smoke, a book appeared in front of him. "_**The Big Book of Places Containing Magical Items**_." He smiled, and began to flip through the pages quickly. "Look!" He said, turning the book round. "I'm in it!"

Sure enough, there was a picture of the Cave of Wonders in the top left corner, with Genie's lamp pictured at the bottom of the page.

"Nobody cares." Iago said, flying down onto Genie's shoulder. Genie looked hurt, and continued to flip through.

"Okay, Mr Moody, here it is." Genie turned the book round to show everyone again. In the top corner there was a picture of a large grey rock with different shaped holes in it, on the middle of an island. Genie turned it back to himself and rammed his nose inside.

"It says here," Genie said, voice muffled, "That it has to be ten who go in together, once every fifty years, and you have to be worthy enough to enter."

Iago looked around. "How many of us are there? So there's Al, Jazz, Cassim, the rug, the monkey, Genie, and... those two. " He pointed at Mozenrath and Xerxes over his shoulder. "And me."

"But that's only nine. We'd need one more person." Aladdin said sadly, turning his face into Jasmine's hair.

"Can't we just get someone? Like one of the guards?" Jasmine suggested.

"They have to be worthy. The requirements are engraved by the entrance. We should go check the requirements before we go grabbing random unworthy recruits." Mozenrath said.

"Fair point." Genie said. "What are we waiting for? Let's go-oo-oo-oo-oo!" He rammed everyone onto Carpet and steered him out the window.

Aladdin and Mozenrath- who had been rammed side by side- glared at each other out the corner of their eyes.


	8. Chapter 8 An Elemantal Encounter

An Elemental Encounter

_Carpet is flying above the sea. Everyone is very tightly packed. Iago and Abu are gripping the front edge of Carpet, behind them is Jasmine and Cassim. Jasmine has here hand on her stomach and looks a little sad. _

_At the back Aladdin and Mozenrath are still glaring at each other. They are well matched: Aladdin's new reddish-brown eyes seem to be creeping Mozenrath out, but Xerxes is helping Mozenrath by also glaring at Aladdin._

_And right at the back is Genie, who has turned his back half into a rocket and is pushing Carpet along faster._

"Argh!" Genie groaned loudly, causing everyone except Aladdin and Mozenrath look at him, who were too busy with the not-so-subtle glaring.

"Will you guys _please_ stop that?" Genie complained, looking at Aladdin and Mozenrath. "Stop the staring contest, _now_." When Genie said 'now', he pushed Aladdin away from Mozenrath- and off the edge of Carpet.

"Whoa-aaa! Genie!" Aladdin yelled as he fell.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried, steering Carpet around. Genie stopped his rocket-ing and scrambling onto Carpet.

"Make a mental note to never try to steal this dumb genie again." Mozenrath muttered audibly to Xerxes who nodded and said "Mental note: no dumb genies." Genie frowned at them.

Aladdin landed in the sea with a splash. Carpet flew over to the bubbles that appeared above the area Aladdin had landed. "Aladdin?" Jasmine called in fear. His hand stretched up, and she grabbed it.

"Help!" She cried as she began to be tugged forward too. Cassim grabbed her around the waist and pulled. Genie, Iago and Abu all began tugging on Cassim.

Slowly, Aladdin's head emerged, and he began coughing and gasping. "Jasmine! Look out!" He gasped. "It's Sa-" He was cut off by a large purple octopus tentacle, which covered his mouth. Aladdin began struggling, but more tentacles wrapped around him, and pulled him under water.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine and the others fell back as Aladdin slipped through her fingers. Jasmine immediately leapt forward and almost jumped into the sea too, but Cassim grabbed her. "No!"

"Yes!" A face popped up from underneath the waves. One that Jasmine recognized quicker than she had tried to jumped into the sea.

"Saleen!" Jasmine growled.

Saleen was a water elemental: she had red hair, light skin and an orange tail, like that of a lobster of a poisonous fish. She had tried to steal Aladdin away from Jasmine. The first time she trapped Jasmine, the second time she transformed Aladdin into a sea creature which she controlled.

"What did you do with Aladdin?" Jasmine said, glaring down at Saleen, her loose hair shadowing over her face menacingly.

Saleen smiled and ran her fingertip through the water. Instantly, she was contained in a large bubble of water- along with her right-hand 'man' Armand, the purple octopus, and Aladdin. Armand had his tentacles wrapped around Aladdin's arms and ankles. Aladdin kicked around wildly. Saleen swam purposefully slow towards him.

"No!" Jasmine screamed and leapt at the bubble. She landed on it, but couldn't get through. She found out the bubble become thick thick rubbery- and impossible to break through. Jasmine stared at Aladdin's face and gasped. He was stretching his neck up, his cheeks were puffed out and his mouth was open.

"Saleen! Saleen, listen to me, please!" Jasmine began beating her fists on the bubble. Genie transformed into a fisherman, and used his fishing rod to hook onto Jasmine's dress and pull her back.

"Don't make her mad." Genie warned Jasmine, who was dangling in the air from the fishing hook. She looked at him frantically, and kicked her legs.

"No Genie, you don't understand! Aladdin can't breathe!" She sobbed in panic. Genie gasped and turned back to normal, dropping Jasmine back onto Carpet.

A diving board appeared on Carpet, and Genie stood on the end, dressed in swimming trunks. Genie bounced twice, then flew high into the air, before diving onto the bubble, only to be catapulted back off it again.

Jasmine watched in horror as Genie was shot into the air, disappearing from sight. She quickly looked back at Aladdin. Carpet flew lower, so they were level with Saleen.

"Saleen! Don't drown Al!" Iago shouted. Saleen swung her head round and looked directly at Iago. Iago shuddered, and hid behind Mozenrath's cloak, peeking out nervously.

"Don't worry, land-dwellers. Aladdin will be able to breath... once he becomes a creature of the sea." She held up something that was around her neck. Iago and Abu gasped.

"What? What is it?" Cassim asked urgently.

"That- that starfish! She fixed it!" Iago shrieked. Abu began running around holding a hand above his head like a dorsal fin, snapping his teeth. "She's gonna turn him into a shark again!"

"Again? What do you mean 'again'?" Jasmine asked, frowning.

"Er... long story. See-" Iago began, but Abu shoved him.

"Aladdin!" Abu chirped in panic. They all looked back at Aladdin, who had recognized the starfish and begun squirming weakly.

Saleen blew a kiss at Aladdin, which turned into a bubble and covered his mouth. Aladdin gasped for a few seconds, gulping the air, when the bubble popped.

"Aladdin- your eyes!" Saleen exclaimed. "You really shouldn't play with magic. Strange things could happen." She lifted her hand and rubbed it against his cheek. Aladdin turned his head aside, eyes screwed up. Saleen laughed as Jasmine let out a cat-like snarl.

Saleen held the pink starfish up and frowned. "Oh Aladdin, you know I like your usual fashion." She pointed one long fingernail at Aladdin, and his outfit changed into his usual outfit, but with a blue vest instead of a purple one, and a navy fez instead of a red one.

"There. Now it'll be easier to attach this." She approached brandishing the starfish like it was a lethal weapon- which it could be considered as.

"Not if I can help it." Mozenrath muttered. Iago looked up at him in shock, taking in the clenched fist and jaw. Even though the anger wasn't directed at him, Iago still cowered. "Xerxes- break that elemental's little toy necklace."

Xerxes dove straight through the bubble with ease, and began swimming quickly around Saleen's head. "Urgh!" She shook her head and tried to swat at him, but he was too quick. Armand dropped Aladdin to help his mistress, knocking of Aladdin's navy fez.

Whilst Xerxes dodged fist and tentacle, Aladdin swam over to the edge of the bubble and pushed his hands against it, but he was trapped. Jasmine thoughtlessly jumped into the sea and pushed her hands against the bubble, trying to break through too.

"How I despise water elementals- particularly this one." Mozenrath muttered.

"_I have to agree with you on that one, Mozenrath."_ Destane made Mozenrath, Cassim, Iago, Abu and technically Carpet jump. _"Maybe I should finish the transformation now." _

Aladdin's mouth opened and a large bubble came out as his lungs lost the last of his precious air. Aladdin's body drooped as he slowly blacked out. Jasmine began scratching the bubble more frantically.

"No!" Mozenrath gasped, and leapt into the sea feet first, cloak flying out behind him. Jasmine swung her head around, her hair spread out around her.

Xerxes spotted his master in the water and knew what his plan was. Xerxes swung his head down and bit Saleen's starfish, swallowing a large chunk. Saleen gave a shriek which Xerxes imitated a couple of times before making a hole in the water bubble in a drill-like fashion and swimming out to join his master.

Mozenrath stuck his gauntlet hand through the hole and aimed at Saleen. The second his magic hit her, the bubble broke and she was blasted backwards and out of sight in the dark sea along with her annoying octopus.

"Bye bye." Xerxes laughed. Mozenrath swam forward, wrapping one arm around Aladdin's limp form and using the other to help him swim to the surface.

When they surfaced, they were both pulled onto Carpet by Cassim and Jasmine- who had already been pulled on.

Abu peered into the sea and noticed Xerxes struggling to get out of the water. Abu reached his tail into the water, curled it around Xerxes's body and hauled him up. Xerxes and Abu stared at each other for a moment in a mixture of appreciation and confusion, before turning to Aladdin.

"Destane!" Mozenrath yelled to the sky. Jasmine jumped and stared at him. Last time she had heard Mozenrath had yell like that, it was aimed at Aladdin, and now... now it was on Aladdin's _behalf_. No, it wasn't. If Destane got control of Aladdin,

She lost her train of thought and quickly looked at Aladdin when he yelped and began twitching. Genie flew over, and stared when Aladdin gave a final gasp as several brown rings appeared on his skin, like those of a leopard or a jaguar.

"Al!" Genie cried. "Buddy! Wake up!"

"Genie? Ge- ah!" Aladdin's eyes opened slightly, but quickly closed after another jolt shot through him. He raised his shaking hand, and everyone saw his fingernails lengthen into small black claws and his teeth grew into points. Mozenrath, still dripping wet, snapped.

"Can't this rug move? We have to hurry up and get to the cave- _before_ Destane finishes the transformation."

"Whiz-kid has a point. Let's go!" Genie looked at his smoke-tail and frowned. It turned back into a rocket with a 'ting'. "Aha!" Genie said triumphantly. He seized the back of Carpet. "Let's jet!"

Saleen's head burst from the sea, just in time to see the Carpet disappearing in the horizon. "Get back here you salt-encrusted land-dwellers!" She shrieked.

Saleen didn't notice Armand behind her, moving his tentacles in a celebration like fashion ( Armand did not approve of Saleen's efforts to get Aladdin, as it meant Armand would be replaced). Likewise, Armand didn't notice Aladdin's fez, which began bobbing up and down beside Saleen.

"What's this?" Saleen muttered. She picked up the fez and stared into it. She plucked a hair from the inside. She began to giggle to herself. "Come on Armand!" She purred, as she dived into the waves. Armand looked puzzled at her lack of anger, but followed her anyway.


	9. Chapter 9 Approaching the Cave of Trials

Approaching the Cave of Trials

_Carpet was no longer flying thanks to Genie- who was keeping to himself, feeling miserable. Genie had turned into a big blue Viking ship._

_Sitting at the front of Carpet was Iago, Abu and Xerxes, who all seemed to be deep in hushed conversation, Cassim- leaning against the edge of the boat-was looking at them, eyebrows raised as all he could actually hear of their discussion was the occasional outburst from Iago. He gathered they were making fun of the palace guards._

_At the other end of the boat, Jasmine was sitting down. Aladdin lay unconscious beside her. She had his head against her and was stroking it gently, looking at all the rings on his skin._

_Meanwhile Mozenrath had his elbows propped up on the side of the boat, looking at everything passing below, which at the minute was just ocean._

Mozenrath looked at Xerxes talking to Aladdin's dumb pets. He felt odd without Xerxes flying above his shoulders. Mozenrath wondered if he could ever be that comfortable around Aladdin...

"And what have they ever accomplished? Nothing! They have never managed to do anything successfully." Iago yelled.

"Uh huh." Abu said, followed by some chattering.

"Oh yeah. I forgot they've tried to kill Al... how many times?" Iago paused and Abu began to count off his fingers.

"Kill Aladdin?" Xerxes looked confused. "Kill- not guard?"

"Yeah, well they guard _royalty_ only. Not Al and his _loyal friends._" Iago grumbled. Cassim chuckled to himself. Mozenrath watched him, frowning. He had to admit, his, Cassim's and Aladdin's face shapes were similar... and his eye colour was definitely the same as Aladdin's... it was obvious now that Aladdin's irises were covering his whole eye.

"Land ho!" Genie the boat called.

Mozenrath quickly went to the front of the boat. He could see a huge rock shaped similarly to a large bowl. In the middle was another rock- the entrance to The Cave of Trials. He glanced back at Aladdin and Jasmine. Aladdin was still unconscious.

_He had a good reason. Destane is really hitting him hard this time. _Mozenrath found himself thinking. He looked around at everyone else, as if to see if anyone was overhearing his thoughts.

Genie anchored himself to a rock in the middle of the 'bowl'. He then turned into a slide, and everyone slid down it. Iago wasn't too pleased. ("I'm moulting enough as it is. I don't need any more input from _you_. Blue moron.")

A yelp from Aladdin caused everyone's attention to snag back to him. Two tiny horns had sprung up on his forehead above his eyebrows. Mozenrath's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. Destane was clearly hurting Aladdin- and soon, Mozenrath. He couldn't let that happen.

Aladdin sat up. "Oh boy." He muttered, putting his hand to his aching head. "Ouch!" Aladdin instantly yanked it back again as he pricked it against one of the horns. As Aladdin examined his hand, he then saw the claws, the rings and his tongue touched his pointed teeth. He looked crestfallen.

"Aladdin, it's all right. We'll find he cure." Jasmine said, smiling encouragingly. Aladdin tried to breath easier, and lay down, head resting against Jasmine. He then abruptly sat up, eyes wide, mouth open.

"Aladdin? What is it?" Jasmine asked, worriedly. Aladdin just simply stared at the spot he had been resting his head on.

"The baby. The baby kicked. I felt it." Aladdin said, a smile spreading on his face. Jasmine looked at him and smiled. She squeezed his hand. "I'm going to be a father."

Iago flew onto Aladdin's shoulder. "Took ya long enough!" He yelled into Aladdin's ear. Aladdin flicked him off.

"Hey Al, we can talk about the bundle of joy later." Genie said softly. "Right now, I think we should get going." Genie turned and pointed to the large rock. Aladdin slowly got up, and edged towards the rock cautiously.

It was then a creature came out from behind the rock. It was a horse, a light, sandy colour. It had light brown swirls and patterns on its body. The creature had a black, curved horn coming out of its head. Its mane was thick and wavy, and its tail was thick and vine-like, with a feathery puff of hair sprouting from the end. Everyone ran to Aladdin's defence- even his older brother, but they were blocked by a swirl of wind, that flew around Aladdin and the creature like a tornado, stopping anyone from intervening.

"Greetings." The creature said, dipping its head. "My name is Deja. Do you believe you are worthy to enter and survive The Cave of Trials?"

Swallowing, Aladdin spoke. "I hope so. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't really important. I need to find the Blade of Separation to stop the spell that is upon me. If I don't, I won't be able to control my actions any more, putting other people in danger."

Deja smiled, and the sand ring dropped to the ground. "Your words are not selfish unlike those many others. You wish to obtain the Blade in order to prevent yourself from hurting others." Deja regarded the others. "All seem worthy to enter, except you do not have enough people to get through."

"We were hoping we could get a look at the type of person who could enter before we chose someone who could be unworthy. Is that allowed?" Cassim asked.

"Perfectly." Deja said.

"Wait a second!" Jasmine said suddenly. "I'm pregnant, does that count as two?"

"No. I'm afraid not. Not until your baby is old enough to have accomplished something on its own." Deja lowered his head, and his muzzle touched Jasmine's stomach. "You're lucky it doesn't work that way. It would make things complicated later on. You'll understand once the baby is born."

Deja turned and walked over to the rock, and brushed his horn against it. The rock began to move. It moved into four different sections. Each rock had several different openings, all different shapes, all with different writing beside them.

Deja indicated with his horn. "The rock on the far left is for animals only. The next is for those of another Cave. The rock on the right of this one is for those whose appearances are deceiving. Finally, the one on the far right is for those considered royalty in some way."

Deja trotted over to the rock for the animals. It had three holes. "I need the most faithful familiar, the Liberator and the vanquisher of a cruel master."

"I faithful familiar." Xerxes flew up eagerly and hovered next to a hole.

"Oh, ugh." Abu grumbled, climbing up beside a rock. There was once a village was being terrorized by a prehistoric beast, and according to a prophecy,the only one who could save them was the Liberator, who was Abu. Abu had defeated the monster.

"And I stopped Jafar. Great. And here I was hoping I was going to be forgotten." Iago flew up beside the section he was to enter in. Iago had stopped his old master, Jafar, by kicking his lamp into lava, melting it and thus destroying Jafar.

Deja wandered over to the next rock. "This rock, the entrance for those who are from another Cave. I believe it is the Cave of Wonders that you two originally left." Deja looked at both Genie and Carpet. "Am I right?"

"Er, yes." Genie said. "Ten out of ten!" He held up a large piece of card with the number ten on it in black.

"This is the entrance for the Genie of the Lamp." Genie immediately flew up to the hole. "And this is for the one who is the exception to the rule of the Cave of Wonders." Carpet flew up hesitantly.

"Huh?" Abu asked.

"Wait a minute- The Cave of Wonders said 'Touch nothing but the Lamp'," Aladdin said, thinking. "But Carpet didn't count. He wasn't a part of the forbidden treasure."

"Oh." Abu said.

"Now this is for those considered a type of royalty." Deja continued. "I need the Princess of Agrabah, The Ruler of the Black Sand, and The King of Thieves to step forward."

Jasmine smiled weakly at Aladdin, and her hand slid down his arm, then down to her side. Jasmine walked forward as confidently as she could. Mozenrath and Cassim approached the entrance too, leaving Aladdin standing alone.

"And finally, the entrance for those who are more than what they appear- a two who are known as _street rats_," Deja looked at Aladdin. "I need the Diamond in the Rough, and the Witch of the Sand."

"I'm... the Diamond in the Rough? What does that mean?" Aladdin asked, puzzled. He had never heard himself being called that.

"That's what the Cave of Wonders calls you. You are the only guy who could enter the cave. You obviously had to have a special name." Iago called.

"Oh. And a witch of the sand... would that be Sadira?" Aladdin shook his head to clear it. "Yes, it must be. Genie," Aladdin said. Genie sprung up and saluted. "Go get Sadira and bring her here."


	10. Chapter 10 Going In

Going in

Sadira stood in her underground home- it was old, and falling apart. She kicked the sand that covered the floor, and wandered over to her wooden desk, which was covered in scrolls. She looked at them half-heartedly.

"Oh, I have nothing to do!" She moaned, clenching her fists and looking at the ceiling in despair. Sighing, she took a step forward, and tripped over a jutting-up tile. She glared at it and stood up. Sadira looked down at her clothes, which were now covered in sand.

"Well, I have nothing better to do." She scooped up some sand and sprinkling it above her head. Instantly, she was dressed in her rose-pink princess's dress, complete with a pointed pink hat.

She had once used this outfit to try and make Aladdin like her by hypnotising him into thinking he was a knight named Dragon Slayer, and that she was a princess who needed rescuing from a dragon. Things had gone wrong when Jasmine and Genie intervened, and Genie tried to use his genie magic to stop Sadira's sand magic. As we

"Ugh..." She grumbled, sprinkling more sand on herself.

The top half of dress stayed the same, but the skirt transformed into a pair of pink harem trousers. Her hat had disappeared too. Sadira frowned. Another sprinkle of sand. The sleeves had vanished, and Sadira was left wearing a rose-pink strapless vest, with harem pants of the same colour. She let her stomach show, and left herself bare-footed. She laughed to herself.

"Oh, I should do this more often!" She raised her arm, and a mirror appeared. Sadira pirouetted in front of it,

She laughed again, and thought about how Jasmine always has some sort of jewellery on. With a wave of her hand, a gold band appeared on her left upper arm, and three golden bangles on her right wrist, and her left foot. A golden chain appeared on her neck, and a pink square-shaped jewel hung from it.

"Oh, maybe I should change. It would be so embarrassing if anyone ever saw me like this." Sadira laughed. The mirror melted into sand, and Sadira scooped up some sand, ready to change into a more suitable outfit.

Suddenly, Genie appeared behind her silently. He transformed into a slingshot with a poof. Sadira whirled around, but Genie was quicker. Sadira was suddenly on the slingshot, and Genie catapulted her away.

Back outside the Cave of Trials, Aladdin began pacing. "What if she doesn't wanna come?" Aladdin asked.

"_It will make my job easier."_ Destane said. Aladdin spun round, and backed away from the green and black mist that had formed in the air behind him.

"No. _No!" _Aladdin turned and tried to run, but the mist surrounded him. "Not again!"

Mozenrath ran forward, and used his gauntlet's power and blasted at Destane's mist just as Aladdin yelled from inside. The mist quickly disappeared, and revealed Aladdin, on his knees with his hands on his head.

"Aladdin?" Mozenrath asked. Aladdin looked up at him sadly. Aladdin had now grown pointed ears that were poking out of his hair to go with the pointed teeth, reddish-brown cat eyes, black claws and leopard printed skin. Aladdin ran his hand over the ears.

"This street rat girl had better come." Mozenrath muttered. He paused. "How long-"

He was cut off by a scream, and Sadira came tumbling out of the sky. Mozenrath caught her in his arms, then stumbled backwards onto the ground. Sadira stood up quickly and took a couple of steps back from Mozenrath.

"I-I'm sorry, sir." Sadira said. "Are you all right?"

"I'll live." Mozenrath sighed, standing up. "Are you the Witch of the Sand?"

"Er... I'm not very good." Sadira said hastily. "Whatever it is you want me to do, I'll probably mess it up, trust me, you're better off doing it alone. You don't need my help."

"Confidence." Mozenrath turned to Aladdin. "Are you sure you got the right witch?"

"_Aladdin?_" Sadira asked, shocked. Aladdin stood up.

"Yes. Listen, I- we need your help." Aladdin said. Sadira turned to look at everyone.

"Hi guys." Sadira said, then whispered to Aladdin. "Who's these two guys and the desert unicorn?"

"Uh, that's Deja. That's Cassim. And that's Mozenrath." Aladdin pointed to each of them in turn.

"_Mozenrath?"_ Sadira said fearfully.

"Sadira, I know we told you some pretty bad stuff about him, but its different now." Aladdin said, trying to calm her.

"Oh, what have you said about me now?" Mozenrath asked cheerfully.

"Only that your a kidnapper of both Aladdin and Genie _more than once,_ a body snatcher, palace stealing, dark magic collecting creep!" Sadira spat.

"Whoa ho!" Mozenrath commented. "A very spirited witch." Sadira's eyes narrowed, and a wind swirled around her, lifting her hair up menacingly.

"Please don't start fighting." Aladdin asked. "Listen Sadira, Cassim is my father." Sadira turned to look at him and smiled.

"Oh Aladdin! This is him! He does look like you."

"Hello Sadira!" Cassim called, waving.

"Guess what? He's my father too." Mozenrath said, calmly.

"So, you're..." Sadira said, shocked. "Oh. I get it." Sadira turned to Aladdin. "So... I'm assuming you need my help because of... ahem." She indicated at Aladdin's transformation.

"Yes. You see, his old master, Destane, has begun to turn me into his familiar." Aladdin said, looking sad again as Sadira gasped loudly. "So we have to go into the Cave of Trials to get this 'Blade of Separation', which will stop it."

"Yes, of course!" Sadira said. "I've heard about this Cave." She looked at the Cave's entrances. "Is one of the entrances for me?"

"Yes, this one." Aladdin took her arm and pulled her over to her entrance.

"Okay," Deja nodded. "Before you go in, you must know, this is the Cave of Trials. You will each enter separately, and be faced by many hazards as you all try to meet up in the middle. Remember: if one of you fails, you all fail. Everyone's help will be needed at the end to retrieve the Blade of Separation."

Everyone swallowed nervously. "Now you may enter." Deja said, and everyone slid inside.


	11. Chapter 11 An Odd Grouping

An Odd Grouping

Carpet flew forward hesitantly. What could be awaiting him around the corner? This tunnel was designed to test _him_ in particular, so it probably contained_ his _worst fears...

As Carpet rounded the corner, his light purple patterned form shook with apprehension. _Fire, moths, scissors..._ then he stopped. He mopped his 'brow' with one tassel.

The next part of the tunnel had no floor- the first trial was just a big hole in the ground- well, actually it was a huge hole, around sixty feet. No problem for him though. Reading the sign with non-existent eyes, he realized he had to get across the hole and over the other side.

Carpet glided over the hole with ease, then he noticed a sign on the other side. _All ten will face this challenge also. The next challenge will be facing your worst fear._

It was then Carpet began to worry. How were his friends going to get across? Still worrying, Carpet flew deeper into the dark cave, then hesitated. Worst fear? What-

CRASH! Carpet was crushed under a huge avalanche of rocks. He struggled, but he couldn't get free. Carpet silently grumbled to himself. How many times did he get pinned under rocks? It was irritating, but hardly his worst fear...

It was then Carpet saw the moths flying along. They were heading this way, and they were going to get him... he began struggling, but couldn't get up. The moths flew closer...

Abu hopped along, quietly humming, until he came to a huge gap in the floor. There was no way he could jump it...

No problem. He was a monkey. Abu climbed around the wall around the edge of the gap and climbed onto the other side. He spotted the engraved rock- he peered at the writing on it:

_All ten will face this challenge also. The next challenge will be facing your worst fear._

Abu stared, open-mouthed for a moment, then shrugged. He couldn't read. He rounded the corner, then froze. The next room...his worst nightmare.

The room was filled with gold monkey statues, all in different poses, all holding a big, red jewel. Some were holding their jewel in their golden tails, some in their paws, and others had their arms wrapped around it.

These were his worst fear, as not only were all the golden statues were similar to the one from the Cave of Wonders, they also all looked like him. It was his worst nightmare- Abu, becoming the gold treasure he adored so much, having people sell him, steal him, stare at him... Abu screeched, and then fainted.

In their tunnels, Iago, Xerxes and Genie simply flew over. Genie was immediately captured in a tiny bottle, whereas Iago and Xerxes were met with seemingly empty rooms.

"So where's my worst fear?" Iago said apprehensively. He glanced around, then understood. "Oh, I get it. I'm scared of having nothing. No wealth at all. Huh, boring."

Part of the rock fell away, and Iago continued flying, until he found another sign- _Now, you shall meet up with some of the other ten. _

"Just as long as it's not Mozenrath or his creepy eel. Hope it's Abu...wait, what am I saying? I would rather not risk fleas, _thank you._" Iago muttered.

Xerxes flew around his empty room slowly, looking for his worst fear. He spotted a skeleton in the corner. He flew over, and realized the skeleton was wearing old, mouldy versions of Mozenrath's clothes.

"Master? Gone?" Xerxes wailed. "No!" He sniffed the skeleton, then frowned. Xerxes batted the skeleton with his tail. "Just dust." He said as it disintegrated. The rocky wall opened, and Xerxes hesitated, before flying around the corner- _smack_ - into Iago.

"Yeurgh!" Iago spluttered, flying backwards, wiping dribble off of his beak. Then he groaned. "Oh, great. It's worm-boy."

"Found parrot." Xerxes said, ignoring Iago's comment. Iago sighed, and looked over Xerxes.

"Anything back there?"

"No. There?"

"No- I think we go..." Iago looked up, placing a single feather/finger to his chin. "Up there!" He pointed at a hole in the ceiling. Xerxes and Iago quickly flew up, and froze.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Iago screamed. Then he breathed out. "Phew, thank heaven. I thought it was a room full of monkeys."

Xerxes and Iago looked around the room- which was full of golden monkey statues- Abu's fear trial. Iago headed over to one of the statues, clearly intending to take a ruby.

"No! Found monkey!" Xerxes called.

"Huh?" Iago turned to look at Xerxes, and Abu, who was lying unconscious on the floor.

"Monkey!" Iago went over and shook Abu, but nothing happened. Iago grabbed Xerxes and slapped his tail across Abu's face a couple of times.

Abu gave a shriek and sat up. He promptly shrieked again when he realized where he was. He began talking to Iago in his chattering way.

"These statues are what you are scared of most, and if you touch them they turn to lava?" Iago said, raising a black eyebrow in disbelief.

"Uh-huh!" Abu insisted. He chattered again.

"And they are all statues of you?" Iago rolled his eyes.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh!" Abu said.

"Yeah, I believe you, monkey. _Not._ You just want all the treasure to yourself." Iago said angrily.

"No, no!" Abu cried, grabbing Iago.

"Not good idea." Xerxes croaked, wrapping his tail around Abu and flying upwards.

"Ah, shuddup." Iago said, reaching for a statue. His feathers brushed it. Instantly, the cave began to shudder, and the statues began to melt into lava.

Iago hastily took flight, and flew next to Xerxes, who had Abu wrapped up in his tail. Abu began chattering furiously at Iago.

"What? Like you've never done it." Iago retorted. "Ah!" He gasped, dodging a fireball, that whizzed past him. The room began to fill with lava. _"Argh!"_ Iago screamed. "Make it go away!"

Xerxes looked at Abu. "Only monkey can."

"Huh?" Abu said, his eyes growing big, and bottom lip poking out.

"Lava go when monkey not scared." Xerxes promised.

Abu paused, then clenched his fists – including his feet, gritted his teeth and shut his eyes. Slowly, the lava began to drain away, into nothing, and the door opened. The three of them went through eagerly.

They found themselves in a large, circular cave. In the centre was a stone table, which had a small pyramid resting on the top. A white light shone down on it.

"Well done." Deja's voice came from behind them. "You will now wait here until the other seven arrive to face the final trial, but first you will face another one."

Abu, Iago and Xerxes jumped, then turned to look at Deja apprehensively.

"I will show you some memories, ones that may cause you to separate. Your task is to try to stick together." Deja finished, then swung his head, his twisted black horn slashing the air, making an image appear.

Iago, Abu and Xerxes saw flashes of themselves whacking each other. As Aladdin sneaks up on Jafar, trying to get Genie's lamp, Abu muffles Iago's shouts. Abu knocking Iago out, Abu and Iago wrestling with Xerxes... the images continued, until finally, they stopped.

The three of them looked at each other, then roared with laughter.

"AH HAHAHA!" Iago laughed. Abu sniggered, and even Xerxes cackled. "You really are good at this, aren't you, Abu? Always distracting the evil sidekicks whilst Al sneaks up on the bad guy."

"Glad you three handled it so well." Deja said. "But will the others be able to do the same?" Then Deja disappeared into the shadows.

"Uh oh." Abu said, and chattered to Iago.

"Oh no. Mozenrath and Al..." Iago said.


	12. Chapter 12 Genie's Worst Fear

Genie's Worst Fear

Aladdin edged forward slowly, apprehensive over the first trial. He stopped when he reached the hole. "I have to get across _that?"_ He said in horror.

_So pointless._ Destane sighed. _Once the transformation is complete, you may be of use to me. I will finally vanquish your annoying sibling and your pesky friends._

Aladdin swung his head around, looking for the source of the voice. "I won't let you get that far." He said, gritting his teeth and leaping across the gap. He couldn't make it.

Aladdin fell down, into the darkness. He grabbed onto a ledge, and scrambled up. Aladdin looked up- if he climbed up, he would be able to get past the first trial.

_This won't hurt... me._ Destane laughed, green-black mist smothering Aladdin, who yelled out, his voice echoing around the cave. When the mist ascended, Aladdin hurriedly climbed until he reached the top. Then he looked at himself all over.

He was barely recognisable. His skin was now covered in short fur, the same colour as his skin, sill speckled with dark brown leopard spots. His hands and feet were practically paws, with longs, sharp black claws.

Aladdin ran his tongue over his pointed teeth, then realized his tongue was now forked. He reached his paws to his face, only to find his mouth and nose as catlike as his eyes. Aladdin felt something tap the back of his head. He grabbed it roughly.

"Ow!" Aladdin yelped, looking at the thing he had seized. It was a lion's tail, covered in short fur, with a black tuft on the end. Aladdin moaned when he realized it was _his_ tail.

_You don't appreciate my editing? _Destane's sour voice made Aladdin shiver. _Maybe, I should just finish this, here and now._

Aladdin turned and ran into the next room. "Urgh, what next?" He groaned.

"Well, look who it is." Aladdin swung around. "Razoul? What are you doing here?"

Razoul stormed forward and grabbed Aladdin by his vest. "Where were you? Aziz came to Agrabah and murdered the Princess!"

"What?" Aladdin gasped. "That's not possible! Jasmine was here, Aziz is dead-"

"He seemed fine to me." Razoul snarled accusingly, bringing his face near to Aladdin's. "And guess what? Aziz has killed everyone! The Princess, the Sultan, your animals, your magical friends-"

"No! I don't believe you!" Aladdin shouted, shoving hard against Razoul's chest. Razoul staggered backwards, then changed into dust. Instantly, the cave wall opened, and Aladdin walked through, glancing behind him, unsure of what just happened.

Aladdin walked along, looking up and down the walls, waiting for something to happen, then he stopped. At the end of the tunnel, was Genie, trapped in a bottle.

"Genie!" Aladdin ran forward, picked up the light bottle and smashed it against the wall. Genie tumbled out.

"Genie, are you okay?" Aladdin asked. Genie turned around to look at him.

"Argh!" Genie yelled. "A cat!" Genie turned into a squirt bottle. "Bad kitty! Shoo!" He said, spraying Aladdin in cold water.

"_Genie!_" Aladdin cried, throwing his arms over his head.

"Oh, now you've done it!" Genie turned into his traditional dog- a blue Pluto. Not that Aladdin knew what that was. Genie the dog pounced on Aladdin and pinning him down on his back.

"No, Genie! It's me!" Aladdin protested, staring at him, eyes wide.

"Al?" Genie turned back to normal and helped Aladdin to his feet. "Sorry. Yeurgh, you look like a mix between Rajah and Mirage, with a dollop of _Scar_ in there too_._"

When Genie said the word 'Scar', he turned into Scar from _The Lion King._ Not that Aladdin knew who or what that was either.

"Genie, we need to hurry."Aladdin said. "Destane said once he has transformed me into his familiar, he'll make me get rid ofyou, the other guys!"

"Okay then. So- any ideas on how to get out of here ? Genie asked.

"I think this is designed to scare you. When you aren't scared, a door will open, and we'll be able to get through." Aladdin suggested.

"Right. I'm not scared." Genie looked around. "And I'm not scared of bottles."

"So what are you afraid of?" Aladdin asked.

"Up until recently, I would say the muktaar, but now..." Genie thought for a moment. "Hmm... either becoming a slave again, or... losing my best buddy." Genie hugged Aladdin. "Even if he is half lion at the moment."

"Uh, Genie..." Aladdin said, pulling back from Genie. "What-"

"Ahem." Said a voice behind them, and a short old man, with a wart on his large nose, and two stringy white hairs for a moustache stepped forward. Ajed al-Gebraic.

"Oh no." Genie flew backwards slowly, and Aladdin stood protectively in front of Genie.

Ajed al-Gebraic is one of Genie's old masters. After using all three wishes, he sold Genie to a magician in return for eternal life. However, eternal youth wasn't included, so he continued to age into an little old man.

By Aladdin's time, Ajed al-Gebraic has seen and done everything, and as a result is extremely bored. He hired a muktaar to kidnap Genie to provide him with company, but Aladdin came to the rescue. Seeing Aladdin and Genie's friendship, he let Genie go – at least, until Aladdin died.

"Genie, he's just an apparition. He'll go away when you aren't afraid." Aladdin said confidently.

"You're right. I'm not afraid." Genie smiled proudly.

"Yet." Ajed al-Gebraic said, holding out a small chest. He pulled it open, grinning. Out flew two Venus fly-trap heads, snapping. They flew over to Genie and fastened themselves around Genie's wrists, becoming black manacles. Genie was lifted into the air by his arms.

"You said you weren't gonna take me now! You said you'd wait until..." Genie tailed off, looking at Aladdin.

"I know, I said 'Hey, I'm eternal. The kid isn't. I'll see you when you and the boy go your separate ways.'. But I've changed my mind." Ajed cackled. "Now, what to wish for first..."

"No, I won't let you!" Aladdin said. He turned to whisper to Genie over his shoulder. "_Genie, once you're not scared, he'll go."_

"Ugh, I knew you'd be a problem, boy." Ajed grumbled. "Genie, for my first wish, I wish you would kill Aladdin."

"Ha! I can't-" Genie began, but stopped in horror, when he saw his fingertip glow red. Aladdin's mouth opened, and he leant back.

"Genie, don't. You are the only one who can control your actions now. You're free, remember?" Aladdin reminded him desperately.

A stream of red flew from Genie's finger and hit Aladdin _smack _in the chest. Aladdin crumpled, and fell to the floor.

"_Al!" _Genie cried. Aladdin didn't move from the floor. "Al? I can't kill, you aren't dead."

"Yes, yes he is." Ajed laughed.


	13. Chapter 13 JasmineConqueror of All Fear

Jasmine- Conqueror of All Fear

Jasmine stopped dead, and stared at the gaping hole before her. "Oh, perfect." She sighed. All that walking through a dimly lit tunnel, her feet were swollen, and now she was expected to do this.

As if it could feel her anxiety, the baby jolted. She placed her hand on her stomach comfortingly. "Shh," Jasmine whispered. "It's for your Father." She looked at the gap resentfully, but then she spotted a pole lying on the floor. _Is this supposed to be here? _She wondered. It felt like cheating. Oh well. Using the wooden pole, Jasmine vaulted over the gap with ease.

"That was the first trial? That was... too easy." She looked over her shoulder fearfully, half expecting a monster to jump out- weirder things have happened.

She walked forward and read some writing on the stone wall:

ب**عدها****, ****وأنكم قمتم اﻷشد فتكا يخشى مواجهة**

"'Beyond I will confront my most deadly fears'?" She said, frightened. Her worst fear? What was her worst fear? Something happening to Agrabah, her father, ... or Aladdin.

Jasmine ran to the next room and gasped. "No!" She was in a room full of rubble. "Agrabah! It can't be! No!" She placed her hands to her face, then lowered them again frowned.

"Why would Agrabah be in the Cave of Trials, an island in the middle of the ocean?" That was all she needed to say. The vision of Agrabah disappeared- but the room still wasn't empty.

No. Three figures were in the centre of the room. Jasmine was approaching them from the right side, and they hadn't seen her yet. On the floor lay a humanoid creature, with short, light brown fur that was covered in brown rings, pointed cat's ears, a lion's tail, black claws on both its feet and hands, and as Jasmine got closer, she could see the forked tongue, reddish-brown cat eyes, cat's nose and mouth.

Jasmine could tell it was Aladdin. He was wearing the clothes Saleen had conjured up for him, he still had the same eye colour, his thick hair - often called 'poofy' but the guys- was exactly the same too. Genie was hovering beside him, being dangled in the air by his wrists. There was a short old man too, not that Jasmine cared about him.

"Aladdin!" She cried, and ran to her husband. Jasmine dropped to her knees, and pulled him against her . He felt cold, and he wasn't breathing. "Wake up! Please!" Her tears fell onto his face. She placed her cheek against his furry one.

"Jasmine, I'm sorry!" Genie wailed, tears beginning to flood the room.

"What? You mean... you mean you did this?" Jasmine said, looking up at Genie.

"Its what I fear most." Genie whispered. Jasmine stiffened for a moment, then she looked thoughtful. The minute Genie wasn't afraid, Aladdin would wake up.

"Who's that?" Jasmine asked, pointing at Ajed al-Gebraic, puzzled. Why would Genie be afraid of a tiny old man?

"I am a past master of your Aladdin's genie." Ajed replied hoarsely, grinning.

"When were you his master? Genie was in the lamp for ten thousand years before Aladdin found him." Jasmine said, still crying.

"I'm eternal. I traded my genie for eternal life, but as you can see, I still aged. So a little while ago, I decided to get my genie back for a servant. But _he," _Ajed pointed one twig-like finger at Aladdin, "wouldn't budge. Said he would risk his life for a friend." Jasmine smiled though her tears.

"So, I decided, as I'm immortal, and the boy wasn't. I'll get my genie after the boy... you know. _Dies."_ Jasmine shivered. "But I've changed my mind. I don't want to wait that long. Now the genie is under my control, thanks to my magical manacles."

"His first wish was to kill Al." Genie said, looking miserably at Aladdin's still body.

"All right then." Jasmine stood up boldly, and marched over to Ajed. She shoved him out of the way, and he fell onto the floor. "Genie, I wish your manacles were gone." She said, in her commanding voice. The manacles turned into bubbles.

"Hee hee!" Genie began popping them happily, but then he stopped when Ajed vanished. "What just happened?"

"It was your worst fear, Genie!" Jasmine said. "When you weren't afraid, the fear disappeared!"

"Ohhh..." Aladdin muttered, sitting up. Jasmine knelt beside him. "Jasmine! Please, don't." Aladdin covered his furry face with his hands.

"Aladdin." Jasmine said, a little crossly. "I don't care what you look like."

"_But I do." _Destane's voice loomed over them.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine held herself against Aladdin. Aladdin gently un-prised her hands off of his arms.

"Jasmine, he might hurt you."

"I don't care!" Jasmine said.

"_But you should care." _Destane's green magic shot Jasmine backwards, and she disappeared through a wall.

"Jasmi- _Ah!_" Aladdin began, but stopped and yelled in pain. Genie took a step back when he saw Aladdin.

Aladdin had basically turned into a lion- a brown lion with pointed ears, leopard's rings, a forked tongue and Aladdin's black hair. Aladdin the lion got up immediately, shook himself, and bounded over to where Jasmine had disappeared.

"_Jasmine!" _Aladdin shouted. He still had his voice.

"Down here!" Jasmine's voice sounded far off, and you could hear her voice echo. "Are you okay, Aladdin?"

"I'm fine, what about you?"

"I'm okay, I've found Carpet! He was under some rocks! Aladdin... I'll see you in a minute."

"Be safe, Jasmine!" Aladdin called.

"You too." She replied, and began to walk.

Aladdin turned to Genie. "Now, how bad is it?" Genie held up a mirror. "Oh." Aladdin muttered, looking at the lion staring back at him.

"Al? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah." Aladdin leant against Genie, looking up at him hopelessly.


	14. Chapter 14 A Deserved Slap

Me: OH MY GOSH! I have finally got this chapter up! And it looks dissapointingly short :(. I'm sorry, it's just been kinda tough lately- I have had six GSCE exams and I had to be constantly revising, so I could only get a paragraph done a week!

Iago: No one cares.

Me: Shut up.

Iago: Just get ON WITH IT!

Me: Okay then. "Iago flew round the corner and was eaten by-"

Iago: NOOOOOOOOO!

Me: Kidding! You aren't even in this chapter! Anyhoo...

* * *

A Deserved Slap

Mozenrath walked along the tunnel, standing tall. His gauntlet was lit up so he could see where he was going. He was walking fairly slowly at first, then he came to the hole in the ground.

"Oh, please." Mozenrath muttered, looking upwards. Using his gauntlet's power, he flew over with ease. His cloak swirled around him as he landed. "_That_ was the first trial? What a joke."

He walked around the corner, then froze. The next room was filled with mamluks. "What? How did you get here? Oh well. Must be some kinda trial." He stood before the mamluks, who all turned towards him and stared at him with large yellow eyes. Mozenrath stood there impatiently.

"Well, move." He said.

"_Oh, now he's done it."_ One of the mamluks said. Mozenrath jumped. _"He had to go and order us around."_

"_Oh, it's a pity. Maybe we wouldn't have hurt him so much if he hadn't began trying to command us." _Another mamluk sighed, its creepy voice dripping with mock sarcasm.

Mozenrath slowly began to walk backwards. He blasted a nearby mamluk, which immediately fell to the floor in pieces.

"_Now he's really done it." _One mamluk hissed happily. The mamluks all charged forward, and seized Mozenrath.

"Hey!" He yelled, as he was dragged to the middle. They threw him onto the floor, and Mozenrath looked up mamluks surrounding him in horror. One yanked of his gauntlet. "Give that back!" Mozenrath cried, reaching out his hand to try to get it back, but it was lost in the crowd.

"_Oh look, his hand grew back." _A mamluk said in surprise.

"_No way. He must of just stolen someone else's. That's the sort of person he is." _Another laughed cruelly.

"_Who cares? Let's just get on with the torture, despair, etcetera..." _The mamluk holding the gauntlet stepped forward, and pointed it at Mozenrath's forehead.

"No, stop!" Mozenrath said, crawling backwards.

"_Hmm... no." _The mamluks around him began laughing, as the gauntlet glowed, and Mozenrath was thrown backwards.

Sadira hopped along cautiously. She looked around nervously, until she reached the gap. She stared hard. There had to be a way over... it must be something obvious. She couldn't jump, it was too far.

"Gr..." Sadira growled to herself, kicking the sand on the cave floor with her foot. Sadira paused for a moment, then smacked herself in the face with her palm. "Right in front of you." She groaned to herself.

She swept her hand over the sand, and built a bridge made of sand over the gap. Sadira strutted along it, hands on hips and tossing her hair over her shoulder. She laughed at herself. "There's nobody here to see your little performance."

Sadira rounded the corner and noticed a sign. It was in Arabic. "Oh terrific."She muttered. She leant forward and ran her finger along the engraved stone. "Er..."

The words: ب**عدها****, ****وأنكم قمتم اﻷشد فتكا يخشى مواجه **stared back at her.

"Er... 'counted, and you have done the most deadly fear facing'? That can't be right. Let's see... count... _continue_ and you have... er," Sadira paused. "switcher-oo, okay, Continue and you will face your most deadly fear...yeah, that sounds right." Sadira straightened up. "No it doesn't. Oh no... fear..."

Sadira took a couple of steps backwards, then shook her head. "No, I have to keep going. Aladdin is counting on me." She stormed on as bravely as she could. She stopped suddenly when she saw what was before her.

The room looked like her home- in the centre was a table, surrounded by cushions for seats. Each seat had a different meal put before them. Sadira walked around the table confused. "I don't want to get fat, but I'm not afraid of food."

She peered at the table again and realized each place was laid out for a different one of her friends- a pile of fruit she knew was for Abu. Whenever Abu came around she always gave him fruit. Aladdin had some sort of bread, and so did Jasmine. Carpet had nothing, obviously, and Genie had... well, whatever he wanted.

"I fear serving them dinner?" Sadira said distastefully. "They'd have to be here if... oh. Right. I fear them not turning up. I fear lacking friendship." She nodded to herself. That sounded right. The door immediately opened. "Okay then."

As Sadira walked along the tunnel, she could her voices. _"Look at his life, ebbing away..." _Sadira gasped and began running. Aladdin? Genie? Abu, Iago- Cassim, Carpet or...?

Sadira ran in, and found Mozenrath lying on the ground. "Uh oh!" She ran forward, shoving mamluks out of the way without looking at them. "Hey! Wake up!"

"_He won't wake up." _A mamluk laughed. "Not until he becomes one of us!" Sadira turned and saw them for the first time. She gasped loudly. _"Do you fear us, young witch?"_

Sadira guessed that this was what Mozenrath's worst fear was. She didn't blame him- these things were very ugly and scary. Sadira cleared her throat.

"Okay, back off. There are quite a few people counting on this guy right now, and I need you to step aside so we can get through."

"_I don't think so." _A mamluk objected. _"We want him to suffer as we did."_ It raised the gauntlet high, and it began to glow. Sadira thought fast.

"That's a little unfair." She said. The mamluks all stared at her with puzzled yellow eyes. "I mean, what did he do to you, exactly?" She said quickly.

"_We were once people, like you."_ The one holding the gauntlet said. _"Every one of us was lured into working for Mozenrath, and when he was done with us, this is what he did to us. Before, we couldn't speak, we had no memories, all we knew was that we had to obey _him!"

"The mamluk pointed viciously at Mozenrath's unconscious form. Sadira hooked her hands underneath his arms and pulled Mozenrath's back against her. "Did he really?" She murmured angrily. "Son of a-" She began, but remembered that as he was Aladdin's brother, they had the same parents. She hurriedly corrected herself. "I think my already low opinion of this man has sunk down and begun digging to the Earth's core."

"_So you'll step aside?" _The mamluk asked hopefully.

"At the moment, I'd like to, but I can't. As I said before, I need him... I mean, not just me, there are good people who need help, and they won't get it without this man. Besides, revenge is not the way to... get revenge." The mamluks stared at her. "Don't worry, I'm gonna give him a rough time once he's awake."

"_That doesn't make sense."_ The mamluk said disbelievingly.

"But you can't kill him- he's unconscious." Sadira said.

"_That doesn't bother us- if we get him whilst he's unconscious, we don't have to listen to begging." _The mamluks were clearly getting annoyed with the stalling.

When Sadira replied, it almost sounded like she was singing- very fast.

"But right now revenge'll be too brief,

Believe me, when he's awake I'll give him grief.

Revenge my way, would make his stomach churn,

Don't worry, he'll squirm."

The mamluks all began muttering angrily._"Uh huh." _The nearest said. _"Show us. Prove you would be brave enough to-"_

"Ah!" Sadira interrupted, holding up one finger. The mamluks stared. "I need silence for this one." The mamluks were instantly silent. Sadira raised one hand, an slapped Mozenrath's face as hard as she could. The sound echoed around the room.

"Ow!" Mozenrath yelped in a high voice, and sat up. He had a red hand-shaped mark on his face, contrasting with the pale skin. The mamluks roared with laughter. Mozenrath stared in horror at them all, unaware of the mark on his face.

"Come on, while they're distracted!" Sadira hissed. She grabbed Mozenrath and shoved him through a newly-appeared door.

"Wait! My-" Mozenrath began.

"Got it." Sadira replied, snatching back the gauntlet from a mamluk and flipping through the door just as it closed. Mozenrath was impressed for a moment.

"Wow." Mozenrath muttered in awe, then he whacked the back of his head. _Did he seriously just 'wow' at a street-rat/sand-witch? Urgh.._

"You shouldn't hit your head like that." Sadira said, slipping the gauntlet onto Mozenrath's right hand. "You've just been unconscious. It's probably not helping your intelligence." She strutted past before he could say something witty back.

"Come on, today?" Sadira called. Mozenrath turned angrily towards her. "Or do you want your brother to be killed? Now move!"

"And who made you dictator?" Mozenrath snapped. "And for your information, if Destane gets his way, my brother's fate will be far worse than death, because one- Aladdin will look as Destane wants him to, so that'll be some kind of animal, two- he'll undergo a complete personality change and become the general opposite of what he is now, three- he'll obey Destane's every command, and I know for a fact that the first one will be to resurrect Destane who will kill everyone in these caves including me, so if you think I want Destane to be successful, you are very wrong."

"Whoa. Long speech, but you're right." Sadira turned around and began running down the tunnel effortlessly. Mozenrath really didn't want to run, so he used his gauntlet's power to help him levitate besides Sadira as she ran.

"That's just being lazy." She snapped.

"Depends. I call it saving energy." Mozenrath said.

"Urgh." Sadira groaned to herself, still running. "Whatever." She turned her head to glare at Mozenrath. "You save your energy, whilst I-_AHHHHHHH!" _Sadira suddenly screamed and disappeared from view.

Mozenrath halted abruptly, still hovering in the air, staring down the hole Sadira had vanished through.


	15. Chapter 15 Rejection To Optimism

Rejection to Optimism

After a moment's hesitation, Mozenrath flew down after Sadira. She was falling head first, arms stretching out in front of her. Mozenrath dove downwards and wrapped one arm around Sadira's waist and sharply pulled upwards in a manoeuvre that would have impressed Carpet. He began flying upwards again, wincing as Sadira's hair tickled his face.

They reached the top of the hole, and Mozenrath placed Sadira on the floor. She swung round to face him. She look shocked at first, but then she frowned. Mozenrath looked puzzled at first. _Shouldn't she be grateful? I just saved her! _Then he guessed what was wrong. He was still levitating. Mozenrath dropped to the floor.

Sadira tried to take a step forward, then tripped, and ended up doubled over with her face pressed against Mozenrath's chest and her hands on his shoulders. Mozenrath smiled to himself slightly. Sadira straightened up and stared at Mozenrath for a moment. "Er..." She took a step back, and put her hands on a piece of hair that hung beside her face. "I want to thank you for saving me. Back in Agrabah, not many people would have done that."

Mozenrath was suddenly struck with the realisation that he had never gotten this close to anyone other than Xerxes before. A moment ago, his and Sadira's noses could have touched. Tell a lie. He had sometimes leant in whilst leering at Aladdin. He began walking ahead. "Forget it." He said over his shoulder. Sadira smiled dreamily to herself, then whacked herself on the back of her head.

"_Stop it." _She muttered to herself.

"Hurry up Sadira!" Mozenrath called again. "You're lagging!" Sadira opened her eyes wide at the sound of her name through Mozenrath's mouth.

_Genie and Aladdin are walking along a dark corridor filled with mirror shards. Aladdin is pretty much full changed now- he is a lion whose fur is the same colour as his skin, a mane that is remarkably similar to his hair, leopard spots, two tiny horns above his eyes, a forked tongue and long sharp teeth. Luckily, Aladdin still has the same eye colour, even if they are catlike, and he still has his eyebrows. And his voice. _

"Genie," Aladdin said, as he was forced to look at his reflection when they walked past another mirror in the cave. "I am barely recognisable."

"Aw Al, I know it's you." Genie replied, reaching under Aladdin's front legs and pulling him backwards into a hug.

"No, Genie, I mean the others. They'll run a mile when they see me." Aladdin hung his head miserably. "I can just picture Jasmine gasping at me when I appear."

"Hmm. Al's got a point." Genie said to himself. Genie smiled and put Aladdin back on the floor. Genie pointed his finger at Aladdin, and he was suddenly wearing his typical street-rat clothing- his red fez, a purple vest, white trousers, even the brown belt. Aladdin glanced at himself.

"Now I just look like I ate Aladdin and stole his clothes." He said sadly.

"You gotta stop referring to yourself in third person Al," Genie replied. "You're still you."

"Yeah, well I don't look like me, okay?" Aladdin stalked off. "Jasmine loves Aladdin, not me."

"Al, you're making her sound very shallow. Besides, she'll never leave you. Plus there are nine other people, rugs, birds monkeys genies dogs cats witches _whatever-s _helping you out so lets go!" As he reeled off the list, Genie turned into each animal.

"Like Mozenrath's gonna help me." Aladdin muttered.

"Everyone keeps commenting on that." Genie said. "Listen Al, if the transformation is completed its not good for him now lets go. You're beginning to sound like Hakim."

"As in the pessimistic palace guard?" Aladdin smiled slightly.

"Yep." Genie said. "Stop rejecting my optimistic attempts and march! Left, left, left right left!"

"Genie!" Aladdin laughed. He trotted along almost happily. Then he paused and sniffed the air. "I can smell something."

"It's not me is it?" Genie lifted up his arm and sniffed his armpit.

"No, it's... Iago and Abu! And... I think Xerxes." Aladdin said. "Yeah, it's definitely them." Aladdin began running. He kept on running, and shot around the corner.

"Wait up Al!" Genie called.

Aladdin bounded ahead, and ran round the corner.

"AH!" Abu screamed, sailing into Iago.

"Ow!" Iago yelled, turning around. "What's the big- _ah!" _He suddenly gasped when he saw Aladdin, who had just remembered what he looked like. "Don't eat me please! I'm to beautiful to die! Eat the monkey, or better yet, that creepy eel!"

"Huh?" Abu said, walking towards Aladdin suspiciously, recognising Aladdin- or at least, his clothing.

"Stupid bird." Xerxes said, as he had recognised Aladdin the whole time.

"Aladdin!" Abu squeaked, soaring to him and promptly disappearing into his thick, black mane. Aladdin gentle tugged Abu out with one paw.

"Hey Abu." Aladdin mumbled sadly.

"Huh?" Abu asked.

"He's a little down." Genie explained. "You know- he's worried the others will be afraid of him."

"Aw." Abu said, and patted Aladdin's back.

"Yo Al." Iago flew onto Aladdin's shoulder. Aladdin looked sadly at the floor.


	16. Chapter 16 More Memories

Author's note

I'm slightly concerned that this chapter is too long... if you think it is, tell me in the reviews and I could split it in the middle. Oh well, just read it and tell me what you think :)

* * *

More Memories

Cassim hurried through the cave. He had just passed his fear, which had been two young boys, playing happily. Their game was interrupted by a shadow, which engulfed them, and when they emerged, they were familiar grown men, fighting. The problem was, Cassim's fear was true. Aladdin and Mozenrath had started fighting even after they found out they were brothers... tears appeared in Cassim's eyes, but he furiously blinked them away. Not the time to be sad. It was his own fault. If he hadn't taken Mozen to see that magician... Mozen had wanted to go to the beach... but Cassim had decided to take him to Destane... and both his sons were denied a happy childhood.

Or maybe Destane had been a good father to Mozenrath. A better father than Cassim could have ever been...

"Carpet, calm down. We'll figure this out." A familiar voice echoed around the cave, jolting Cassim back to the present.

"Jasmine?" Cassim called, running around the corner. "Jasmine, what is this?" Carpet was trapped underneath a rock.

"It's those moths." Jasmine indicated at some moths which she swatted with her arms. "They're gonna get Carpet if I try to move the rock."

"Okay, you keep the moths at bay, whilst I move the rock." Cassim said.

Jasmine flapped her arms around wildly, whilst Cassim pushed until Carpet was free. Cassim leapt on, grabbed Jasmine and Carpet began to fly as fast as he could away from the moths.

* * *

Meanwhile further ahead Aladdin and Genie were being shown their memories. Most of it was small arguements, that had been resolved that same day- there was a bit of a problem with Xerxes, as the memory shown was Xerxes cackling at Aladdin. Xerxes had sniggered, earning himself a few filthy stares.

However, Abu was sulking. The memory he had been shown was the time Aladdin had tried to put a leash on Abu to stop his thieving habits. Of course, Abu had forgiven Aladdin, but he was still sulking.

"Come on Abu, cheer up." Genie said, picking Abu up by his coat. "Don't you remember how much fun you had burning that leash later on?"

"Well..." Abu said, before laughing. "Uh-huh!"

They all laughed, and Aladdin ruffled Abu's fur on his head affectionately. Abu looked up, then with a loud shriek flew off of Aladdin's back.

"Abu?" Aladdin asked. "Abu- _uff!_" Aladdin said, as something landed on his back then slid limply to the floor. Aladdin shook himself, then looked at the thing that had landed on his back, and gasped.

It was Jasmine.

She lay there, eyes closed, breathing heavily. Aladdin stood up and leant over her, panicked. When her eyelids fluttered open, Aladdin sighed in relief. She clapped her hands over her mouth and gasped loudly. Aladdin remembered what he looked like, and shuffled backwards. Jasmine sat up, still staring at him in horror.

"Aladdin?" she gasped. Aladdin stared at her, puzzled. She had recognized him? "Aladdin? What has he _done_ to you?"

"You... you knew it was me?" Aladdin said, confused. _Why had she gasped?_

"What? Yes of course I knew it was you, but... _look at you! _How much more is he going to have to do before you are completely transformed?"

_"Not much longer."_ Destane's voice made them all jump. Jasmine flew at Aladdin, wrapping her arms around his neck. Destane's laughter faded.

"Are you all all right?" Cassim asked, flying down on Carpet. "That looked like a painful fall Jasmine, and we thought we heard..." Cassim tailed off when he caught sight of his son. Jasmine turned to him, tears in her eyes.

"We have to hurry," Jasmine said. "How do we get out of here?"

"The time will come." Deja said, appearing out of nowhere. "But first, everyone must see a few memories." He looked at Cassim, Carpet and Jasmine. "And now it's your turn." With the usual swish of his horn, Deja made an image appear.

It was Aladdin as a small boy, wandering around. He was looking hopefully at a man carrying two kids, but the man ignored him, and Aladdin's face fell, as he curled up in his hovel alone.

Cassim looked at his son painfully. "Aladdin- I'm so sorry. I completely messed up your childhood, and-"

"Dad- you're here now. That's all I need." Aladdin smiled at his father. Cassim smiled back and tousled Aladdin's hair/mane.

"Now your turn." Deja said, looking at Jasmine. The second the image appeared, Jasmine, Aladdin, Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago cringed away.

"What?" Cassim asked.

"What is it?" Xerxes muttered to Abu and Iago.

"Gross." Iago replied. Xerxes and Cassim were going to question further, but the decided to sit back and watch.

Nobody noticed Mozenrath and Sadira walk in behind them. Sadira opened her mouth and began to take a step forward, but Mozenrath grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. When she glared at him angrily, he put his finger to his lips and leant against the wall to look at the image that had appeared. Sadira turned to look at the image silently, wondering why she was obeying Mozenrath.

_"Jafar..." Jasmine said. _She was wearing a red sleeveless crop top, red sweatpants, golden slipper-like shoes, thin golden earrings, and a golden bracelet was wound around her upper right arm. Her hair was in a high ponytail.

_When Jafar and Genie turned to face her, she stood up slowly, and placed a crown on her head. "I never realized how... incredibly handsome you are."_

_Genie's jaw dropped, and Jafar smiled. "Hm, that's better." Jafar tugged on Genie's beard, and his mouth closed like an old fashioned blind. "Now, pussycat, tell me more about, myself."_

When Jafar said "pussycat", Aladdin unexpectedly growled. Everyone looked at him, and Mozenrath looked horrified. Sadira looked at Mozenrath, unsure if Mozenrath was concerned for his younger brother. Sadira couldn't get over how much Aladdin had transformed. (Of course, she had no idea what was happening to him. She had just assumed Aladdin had been badly cursed by a wizard). Aladdin shook himself, and coughed.

"Sorry." He muttered. "I don't know what happened..."

_"You're, tall, dark, well-dressed..." _The memory continued. Aladdin realized that he had missed this part, because he had been speaking to Genie at the time. _"And I love those... EYEBROWS! They're so...angry. And your... cute little gaps between your teeth." Aladdin slid down a pile of gold coins, and peered at Jasmine and Jafar._

_"Go on." Jafar whispered eagerly._

_"And your... beard! Is so..." Jasmine slid her hands onto Jafar's shoulders. "Twisted." She said, beckoning for Aladdin to come over. "You've stolen my heart."_

_Iago spotted Aladdin, and gasped loudly. __"JAF-mmph!" As Abu leapt up behind him and shut his beak._ Mozenrath, Sadira, Cassim and Xerxes all looked slightly confused, as they didn't know about Iago's past.

_Aladdin reached the throne, upon which the lamp was sitting on. "And... the street rat?" Jafar asked. _

_"What street rat?"_

_Aladdin stretched his arm out towards the lamp, when Iago knocked a goblet filled with fruit to the floor, where it clattered noisily. Jafar began to turn around, but Jasmine quickly turned him back around and pressed her lips against his._

_Aladdin let out a quiet gasp, and looked at them, horrified. _Jasmine looked at Aladdin, and saw that he was wearing a similar expression on his face now.

_"Eeuch!" Said Abu._

_"Yuck!" Iago said through Abu's hand._

_Jasmine and Jafar slowly pulled apart. "That was-" Jafar began, smiling, but then he spotted Aladdin in the reflection of Jasmine's crown. "YOU!" He yelled, turning around. Using his staff, Jafar blasted Aladdin backwards into a pile of coins. "How many times do I have to kill you, boy?"_

The memory ended, and Jasmine looked at Aladdin. "Aladdin..."

"Don't worry Jasmine." Aladdin said, shaking himself. "Even though that plan didn't work, you _were_ doing it for me."

"That was wrong on so many levels." Mozenrath finally stepped out of the shadows. Sadira followed him, looking guiltily at the floor.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jasmine asked, looking angry.

"A while." Mozenrath said at the same time as Sadira said "Not long!" Sadira glared up at Mozenrath, whilst he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, smiling slightly. "So what's happening in here?"

Deja appeared behind Mozenrath and Sadira, making Sadira jump and squeak. Mozenrath laughed and Sadira blushed furiously. "My apologies." Deja said, nodding at Sadira. "I was showing images from the past, ones that may possible split up the group. Speaking of which, I have another one to show you all. It will most likely affect you three." Deja said, looking at Aladdin, Jasmine and Sadira. "Now, this one is a collection of images, so be prepared."

"Uh oh..." Sadira said, her eyes widening.

"What?" Mozenrath grinned at her. "Were you a bad guy too?" He laughed at the idea. Deja looked at him.

"This one may bother you too." And with that, an image appeared. Mozenrath stopped laughing, and frowned.

_It was Iago and Abu, on a bridge in Agrabah. Iago was looking happy, but Abu was glaring at him._

_"Look at him! Kid's turning out to be quite a lady-killer!" Iago was saying._

_The images then changed, to flashes of Aladdin with Saleen, walking around Agrabah, linked arms. The pictures morphed into Saleen, leaning in, intent on kissing Aladdin. He kept ducking, and at one point tried to walk off, but Saleen held onto his arm like a limpet to a rock. Again the image changed. "I am your destiny..." Saleen purred seductively, walking two fingers up Aladdin's bare chest. _

_"But I already have a destiny." He protested._

_"That destiny, is _history_." She replied, pulling his face closer to hers. _

_T__he image blurred into Aladdin, standing on a ship. Saleen tossed a pink starfish at him, and it stuck to his chest. When Aladdin reached down to pull it off, the starfish glowed, and Aladdin yelped. Then the starfish ripped off of him and sailed back to Saleen, who kissed it before diving back into the sea, laughing. The image jumped ahead, to Aladdin and Abu standing on the beach. Abu was standing next to Aladdin's feet, when the literally exploded into flippers. Abu began to shriek._

_"Huh?" Aladdin said. His hands began shaking, and the suddenly became webbed too. "ARGH!"_

_Aladdin ran back to the section of beach where Genie and Iago were fighting. Mistaking Aladdin's yells for cries of hunger, Genie began grilling a fish. A pile of raw fish sat on a table beside him._

_"Genie, I-" Aladdin began, staring at his hands in horror, but he tailed off, and began making an inhuman growling noise. He tried to turn away, but he couldn't, and began munching on the raw fish. The memory jumped ahead a bit, only showing brief flashes of Aladdin's transformation, until he was a large, blue and white shark. Saleen ran her fingers down the side of Aladdin-the-shark's face._

The memory faded away- but only for a few seconds. "That would bother me because...?" Mozenrath muttered to Sadira. Before she could reply, the next image appeared. It was Aladdin and Sadira, in a back alley of Agrabah.

_"Hey, check out Romeo over here." Iago sniggered to Genie._

_"Uh, here's your melon." Aladdin said to Sadira, as he picked it up and handed a large watermelon to her. "Ya know, um, stealing isn't the answer, or, er..."_

_Sadira walked towards him with a dreamy expression on her face. Aladdin backed into a wall, but Sadira carried on walking towards him._

_"Er... eh heh," Aladdin said akwardly. "I'll just give the fruit vendor some coins for you bye!" He added, all on the same breath, before literally running away._

_"Um, uh, my name is Sadira!" Sadira shouted after him._

_"Uh, I-I'm Aladdin! Cya!" Aladdin said quickly before running around the corner._

_"Aladdin! What a perfect name!" Sadira span around on the spot. "He and I, we're two of a kind! We belong together, and we're going to be together, one way or another."_

"Urgh." Mozenrath muttered quietly.

_The memories became flashes of the sand monster Sadira had sent to kidnap Jasmine, then suddenly Aladdin and Sadira, in the marketplace- but Sadira was wearing Jasmine's blue outfit. _

_"Sadira, you sure look beautiful this morning..." Aladdin stood up and took Sadira's hands._

_"Why thank you..." Sadira replied. Aladdin chuckles, so does Sadira. Then, they both leant in and kissed. Aladdin and Sadira broke apart, and Sadira took his arm, leading him away._

Jasmine looked at Aladdin. She looked hurt. "I don't even remember that!" Aladdin protested. He glanced back at Sadira, who was staring at the ground in shame

_The next image appeared. Sadira was wearing a wedding dress, and Aladdin was wearing his Prince outfit. Sadira leant in to kiss him. "Aladdin, NO!" Jasmine shrieked in the background, and the image rapidly faded into Aladdin and Sadira, standing in the streets of Agrabah. "You saved my life!" Sadira was saying. "Allow me to show you my gratitude." She leant forward and tried to kiss Aladdin, but he leant back and the both fell to the ground. Aladdin began to crawl backwards, holding up his hand._

_"Um, uh... I don't think that Princess Jasmine would want me to accept another girl's... um, gratitude." He said politely._

_Sadira pulled a string out of her hair and stretched it in front of Aladdin's face. "Keeps you on a pretty short leash, does she? I don't suppose she'd let you have a cool drink of pomegranate juice at my place, would she?"_

_"Nah, no, she'd never let me..." Aladdin replied. "Hey, wait a minute! Jasmine doesn't tell me what I can and can't do!"_

_"Yeah, uh huh, sure. Well, I've gotta go. Look me up if Jasmine ever lets you off the ball and chain." Sadira began to sashay away. Aladdin ran after her, and the image jumped to Aladdin, Abu and Sadira at Sadira's house. The was glittering dust on the floor, which Aladdin was scooping up with his hands. Sadira was talking, but Aladdin was more interested in the dust._

_"There's a hero in my fantasy world, Aladdin." Sadira clasped Aladdin's hands in hers, and his smile faded."He saves a beautiful princess from a fire breathing dragon. I'm the princess." She leant in. "Guess who's the hero."_

_Aladdin winced. "I'm engaged to princess Jasmine!" His protest was muffled by Sadira's lips. Sadira sprinkled some of the glittering dust onto Aladdin's head. Suddenly, Aladdin and Sadira were kissing in a new setting- out in the middle of the desert. _

_Jasmine was standing nearby. "Ooh..." She growled angrily._

_Aladdin and Sadira broke apart. Aladdin had his eyes closed, and was breathing heavily. He opened his eyes. "Huh? Sadira!" Sadira pressed herself happily against him. Aladdin looked around, and spotted Jasmine. _

_"Jasmine!" He gasped. "Uh, I can explain!" He pushed Sadira over and ran to Jasmine. "I mean, I can't explain! I mean I... I..."_

_"Sit down, relax; I'll explain everything later." Jasmine said._

"You never did tell me what happened." Aladdin whispered to Jasmine. Jasmine didn't reply.

"You don't want to know." Genie said.

"But-" Aladdin began, but yet another image appeared.

_These ones were brief. Flashes of the babarian woman, Brawnhilda, who decided that Aladdin was too frail to survive on his own, believing that he needed her. She spent most of the day carrying Aladdin around._

_Next it was Fatima, a woman who, along with two men, Minos and Aziz, tricked Aladdin into treasure hunting for them before Aladdin met Jasmine- this is where Aladdin met Abu. _

_"We need you. __I__ need you." Fatima said._

_"I don't know..." Aladdin said. Fatima kissed Aladdin's cheek. "I'm in." Aladdin said quickly._

_Last of all, it was a few random women from Agrabah, who have flirted with Aladdin. _The image faded, and everyone looked at Aladdin.

"Er..." Aladdin muttered nervvously. Jasmine tried not to speak.

"You got around." Mozenrath said. He was pointedly ignoring Sadira. Sadira was really bothered to find out this upset her.

Genie looked at Cassim, who was staring at the wall. "That was slightly awkward." Cassim muttered.

Genie shrugged. "Kids."

"Okay..." Deja said. "I'm sorry, but this is for you two." Deja looked from Aladdin to Mozenrath.

Aladdin looked at Mozenrath. Mozenrath shrugged. "Bring it." He said, leaning against a wall.

_The memories shown were simply flashes of Mozenrath and Aladdin fighting, Mozenrath firing magic at Aladdin, Aladdin dodging, the usual really. Suddenly, the images slowed down..._

_It was the time Mozenrath had kidnapped Aladdin- and demanded a trade with Jasmine: Aladdin, for Genie. Mozenrath had chosen a place called Dagger Rock for the meeting place- lots of rocks jutted up all over the place. Aladdin was hanging from one of these rocks by his hands and feet, which were held behind him by black, tar-like sand. Aladdin appeared to be finding something funny._

_"Pretty pathetic, Mozenrath." He grinned. Mozenrath frowned, and spun around, gauntlet glowing dangerously red._

_"I should have known the Sultan would send his bravest warriors to rescue his court jester." As he spoke, Aladdin was pulled closer towards Mozenrath. The gauntlet suddenly stopped glowing, and Aladdin pinged painfully backwards into the cliff face he was hanging from while Xerxes laughed._

_The images continued flashing past again, until it stopped on Jasmine, standing in front of a portal showing Mozenrath's face._

Mozenrath glanced down at his younger brother, anticipating his reaction.

_"Leave my father alone, Mozenrath! I'll give you anything!" Jasmine pleaded._

_"Before I'm done princess... you'll give me _everything." _Mozenrath replied sinisterly. Jasmine put her hand to her mouth and ran into Aladdin's arms while Mozenrath laughed cruelly._

_The memories went in fast forward again, until Aladdin was strapped down on the table in Mozenrath's lab. Aladdin struggled, but couldn't get up. He made a noise that was a cross between a groan and a sigh._

_"What do you want with me this time, Mozenrath?"_

_"Calm down, Aladdin. I have no intention of harming you." Mozenrath walked over, smiling. Xerxes flew over to Aladdin. "In fact I plan to take _very_ good care of you."_

_"Very good!" Xerxes added, and began sniggering._

_"You see, I'm going to transport my essence into your body." Mozenrath explained, pointing at Aladdin mockingly._

_"And what about me?" Aladdin asked._

_"Your spirit will enter _my_ body. I'd call that a fair exchange, wouldn't you?"_

_Aladdin began struggling more frantically. "But I don't wanna live in your body!"_

_Mozenrath shrugged, still smiling. "Oh, alas..." He stroked Xerxes under the chin. "I'm afraid you have..."_

_"No choice!" Xerxes cackled._

_Aladdin struggled violently, horrified. "You're out of your mind, Mozenrath!"_

_"Uh, no I'm not," Mozenrath said, walking backwards until he was against his table. Aladdin looked nervous. "but soon I will be out of my body!" Mozenrath laughed as Aladdin tried struggling again, and hung his head, clearly feeling helpless. "Let the transference begin!"_

_The memories sped up, showing only brief flashes of the transference, Aladdin's friends interfering, and how Aladdin walked away unscathed, were all that remained of Mozenrath was his gauntlet and a small stone figurine of himself._

_The memories didn't slow down until Abu was sitting on a table, poking Mozenrath's gauntlet. It lit up red, making Abu jump. Aladdin seized him by his waistcoat._

_"Fool! Keep your hands off that!" Aladdin shouted at Abu. A tear slid out of Abu's eye._

_"Aladdin, what's wrong with you?" Jasmine said._

_"I - I don't know. I feel really strange. I'm sorry, Abu. I don't know what got into me." The memories skittered forward a few seconds._

_"I think you're still worn out from what happened at Mozenrath's lab. We should all let him rest." Jasmine said._

_"They can go," Aladdin said, and grabbed Jasmine. "but _you_ can stay."_

_"Oh!" Jasmine shoved Aladdin back. "Enough's enough, Aladdin! This isn't funny anymore!" She said, and stormed off._

_"W__ait! Uh, Jasmine!" Aladdin groaned. "This is crazy! I don't know why I'm acting this way." Aladdin said, looking sadly at the table in front of him. Again the memory skittered forward._

_"Something must have gone wrong back in Mozenrath's lab. He's _inside _me!" Aladdin was saying, fearfully._

The memories abruptly ended there. Aladdin turned his head to look at his older brother. _If Aladdin were to get angry_, Mozenrath thought, _it would be about something I had done to the princess or Aladdin's friends._

Mozenrath was so preoccupied with trying to read Aladdin's lion expression, he didn't notice Jasmine and Cassim. Jasmine was fuming, and Cassim wasn't sure whether to be angry or upset.

Jasmine and Cassim were both thinking about the incident in Mozenrath's lab. How helpless Aladdin was, the horror on his face when he realized what Mozenrath was going to do, and how Mozenrath had just stood there, laughing.

"Er... what was the point of that?" Sadira asked, looking at Mozenrath.

"The point of what?" Asked Genie.

"The point of trying to..." Sadira said, still looking at Mozenrath. She tailed off at the end, unsure how to phrase it.

"Switching bodies with me?" Aladdin put in.

"Simple." Mozenrath said, still focusing warily on Aladdin. "I was dying, I needed a new body, so I thought I may as well pick someone I didn't like." He silently hoped that last bit wouldn't bother the others too much.

"So then Aladdin would have died back in your old body?" Sadira said.

If Mozenrath hadn't been watching Aladdin, he would have shut his eyes in exasperation. Sadira was not helping the situation. Mozenrath gave a slow nod.

Deja slowly walked over and stood behind Mozenrath. Mozenrath looked apprehensive but didn't turn. He flinched when Deja leant forward and put his muzzle near Mozenrath's ear. "I'm sorry, but the next few memories will be painful for you."

The slight red mark that was on Mozenrath's face from where Sadira had slapped him faded to white. "What are they?" Deja whispered something, that no one else could hear. Mozenrath's eyes closed. "I see. Is that necessary?"

"It would help a bit- they would respect you." Deja reasoned.

"Or they would pity me." Mozenrath said, with a trace of anger. For a reply, Deja turned his head towards the back corner of the cave, and rock started to jut up in front of the back wall.

"You don't have to re-watch these memories- you can go behind that rock." Deja offered. Mozenrath didn't move, not wanting to seem cowardly. Xerxes whizzed past.

"Bye bye!" He said, and flew behind the rock. Everyone stared, unsure what to do.

"I'd better... go- get Xerxes..." Mozenrath said, secretly happy that he now had an excuse, and he disappeared behind the rock. "Xerxes?"

Xerxes was hovering in the air. Mozenrath walked forward and sat down all hunched up, his face on his knees.

"How come _he_ gets off on the trial, huh?" Iago squawked loudly.

"Iago." Aladdin muttered in the way he often did.

"If the memory bothers you you're welcome to join him." Deja said. Iago stared at Deja in horror.

"Go sit with Jafar Junior? No way!"

"Suit yourself." Deja replied, and almost reluctantly let the image appear.

* * *

Author's note

Finally! I'm glad to see you haven't given up on me :)


	17. Chapter 17 Same Things

OMG! I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! You know, with homework, revision, exams and other un-important things :D

* * *

Same Things

The memory appeared slowly.

_It showed Cassim, (he was visibly younger- his beard wasn't as long and his hair wasn't grey) walking alongside a beautiful woman- she resembled the belly dancers Genie conjured up. She wore a long, lilac dress and a white hood, which her curled black hair had begun sliding out of. Her eyes were sliver-grey and her lips were a deep red. Her skin was a light caramel colour._

Jasmine looked at Aladdin. It now seemed to her, painfully obvious that Mozenrath was related to Aladdin: Mozenrath's eyes and mouth were the same shape as his mother's, and even his curled hair was the same as hers, only not as long. However, she decided not to mention this to Aladdin, and let him enjoy seeing his dead mother's image. Swinging her head back, she could see Mozenrath's head poking out from behind the rock. He apparently didn't remember his parents too well.

_The image continued..._

_"Mey-um!" A small voice said. "Mey-um!"_

_"Nada, we have to teach him to say 'Mother' properly soon." Cassim smiled down at something behind his wife, Nada's dress._

_"I think it's cute. Leave him alone." Nada smiled happily. She bent down, and picked up a small child._

Everyone's mouths opened slightly.

_The young Mozenrath giggled as his mother tickled him. His hair was still black and curled, his eyes were still reddish-brown, but his face was rounder and more childlike, and his skin was tanned._

_In a similar style to Abu, Mozen scrambled onto his mother's shoulders, and then leapt onto his father's._

_"Mozen! I told you not to do that," Cassim chuckled, gently putting Mozen on the ground._

_"Sorry Dad." Mozen said, and ran ahead. He slyly took a coin out of a large woman's purse. She turned around to see him spinning it on the tip of one finger._

_"Mozen!" Nada said, and hurried forward. She picked him up. "Give that back." She looked helplessly at the woman. The coin abruptly disappeared._

_"I don't have it." Mozen said. "She does. Look, I'll show you." Mozen stretched one arm out to the woman, and "pulled" the coin out of her hair. "See. Magic." He smiled, and gave the woman her coin. Cassim picked Mozen up and placed him on his shoulders._

_"Do you want to be a magician when you grow up?" The woman said._

_"No." Mozen said firmly. "I'm going to stay a child forever." Making the woman laugh. "But if I had to," Mozen continued, "I'd be a monkey, like this!" Mozen leapt from Cassim's back to Nada's._

_"Mozen!" Cassim said. "Don't do that! You might hurt the baby." _

_"Oops..." Mozen whispered in horror. He climbed over to his father and they both stared at Nada's heavily pregnant tummy. _

_"Don't worry." Nada said. "The baby is fine."_

_"Do you want it to be a boy or a girl, Mozen?" Cassim asked._

_"A boy. Defin-finna-..."_

_"Definitely." Nada smiled. "What would we call him?"_

_"I heard of this name! I think it is a good one." Mozen said. _

_"What is it?" Cassim asked._

_"Aladdin." Mozen said. "I was practising my alphabet in sand yesterday and I was making up words." _Aladdin looked surprised.

_"Hmm..." Cassim said._

_"I like it." Nada smiled. "But what if it's a girl?"_

_"Sadira." Mozen said without hesitation._ Sadira's eyes widened and she looked at Aladdin.

_"Why Sadira?" Cassim asked, _grabbing back their attention.

_"That was the name of that cat." Mozen said proudly._

_"How can you remember her? She died when you were a baby." _

_"Don't you remember when Mozen had first learnt to crawl, and he was playing with Sadira in the street, and that painter did some sketches of them?" Nada replied, eyes glittering. "He said he was working on a big painting, and that Mozen and Sadira were part of the design."_

_"I remember. He said he sold it to the Sultan." Cassim smiled. _If everyone looked surprised, the all looked stunned now.

Iago flew up to Jasmine. "So you have a painting of Mozenrath playing with a kitten in your palace?" He yelled in her face, then collapsed to the ground. "_Ah hah ha ha!" _

_"Hey, what's that over there?" Cassim asked, looking at a man in a long brown cloak. A small crowd was gathering, as the man silently snapped his fingers, making a pair of black crows appear, and then disappear._

_"A wizard?" Mozen suggested. The man made a long string come alive. It slithered under the feet of the crowds. Mozen scurried closer to get a better look. The rope reared up before him like a cobra. Mozen slowly stretched out an arm, and touched the rope. Instantly, his silhouette was surrounded by blue magic. Mozen began walking toward Destane._

_Nobody noticed the wizard smile, and beckon with his finger.  
Nobody knew that Mozen was walking towards Destane against his will.  
Nobody saw the fear in Mozen's eyes._

_Destane asked Mozen to help him with a few things- such as holding up things that Destane would either make vanish, change colour or do something else. Cassim and Nada pushed their way to the front. Destane began working on making a glowing ball of light, whilst Mozen sneaked behind him and took a piece of paper out of Destane's robes. His fast, intelligent eyes scanned quickly, and he looked up at his parents in horror. _

_"What?" Nada mouthed at him. Mozen tossed the paper to her. She missed, and bent down to catch it, and unfurled it and read. Cassim read over her shoulder._

_To show a child's magical ability, simply place a seeker spell on an object, and send it into a crowd. Any child with a magical ability will instantly illuminate, making them an ideal apprentice._

_Beneath this, Destane had written:_

Must use the dark-hand seize to kidnap child.

_Mozen glanced fearfully at Destane, who had just noticed the expression on Mozen's face. He looked at Mozen menacingly, and took a step towards him. Mozen stood still. Destane slowly stretched an arm out to Mozen._

"_Mey-um! Dad!"_

"_Mozen!" Nada cried, and ran forward. Cassim began doing the same. Mozen turned to run toward them, but Destane grabbed his shoulder. Mozen yelped, and his back arched. Just as Cassim and Nada reached him, Mozen disappeared. Destane turned and ran away, laughing._

_Cassim and Nada charged after him, but the second Destane went around the corner, he magically transported himself back to the Land of the Black Sand._

_Nada collapsed to the floor and wept. Cassim turned to look at some of the people who had followed them._

"_What was that wizard's name?" He shouted._

"_D-Destane. His name was Destane." The woman who they had spoken to earlier replied nervously._

"_I'll find him Nada. Don't worry." Cassim said, kneeling down. They hugged each other as Nada continued to cry._

_

* * *

_

_Mozen was tugging on the chain around his stomach, when there was an electric-like _zap_ behind him. Swinging around, Mozen saw Destane standing there._

"_I'm home!" Destane laughed. He pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing pale skin, long silver hair and dark green eyes._

_Mozen shivered, still gripping the chain, but he tried to stare defiantly at Destane._

"_Do you know why you are here, boy?" Destane asked. Mozen kept his mouth closed. "You are here, to be my apprentice." Destane_

"_A sorcerer's apprentice?" Mozen asked._

"_Precisely." _

"_No. I don't want to. I want to go home." Mozen said. _

_Destane's fist glowed red, and Mozen suddenly flew forward, hovering in front of Destane at eye level. "Rule number one: always do what I say." Mozen dropped to the floor and began walking away. "Rule number two: you will be taught magic everyday. Rule number three: you will answer any question I ask you…"_

_Mozen began running away, but Destane spun round. "And rule number four: don't try to run away." Mozen suddenly fell to the floor and Destane walked over. "Disobey any of these rules and…" Mozen began screaming as every bone in his body cracked then re-healed at the same time. "You _will _be tortured." Destane said. "How old are you?"_

"_Three." Mozen gasped._

"_Three, huh? That'll be: _one_," Destane grabbed Mozen. "_two,_" he lifted Mozen up, "and _three._" He slapped Mozen across the face, knocking him back to the floor. Destane then left, leaving Mozen crying quietly on the floor._

_The next morning, Mozen awoke on the floor, and was immediately seized by Destane, and dragged to the study, where he would read book after book on magic, or act as a slave, or even have Destane practise spells on him._

_It went on this way until Mozen was eleven. Destane began waking up later than before- so much so that Mozen would be wake up long before him. By now, Mozen's skin had become pale, and his face had gotten thinner. He wore a loose blue shirt and brown ragged trousers. _Aladdin and Jasmine exchanged glances- they could see bruises littering Mozen's pale face.

_Mozen secretly worked on a number of spells._

"_Okay…" Mozen stepped back from the wooden desk he was working on. "Okay Mozen, this is the biggest moment ever." He took a deep breath, and shut his eyes. "Mess this up, and you will disintegrate. Okay, t-"_

"Boy! WHERE ARE YOU?" Destane yelled.

"_Take me to Mey-um!" Mozen gasped. With a flash, he was standing in the middle of a crystal clear lake, surrounded by empty pots, each with an inscription. Wading out of the water, he looked at the nearest pot. _

_**Nada**_

_**Aged 31**_

_**A loving mother to her son.**_

_I love you Mah-taim._

"_Mey-um?" Mozen started crying. He sniffed, and with difficulty, read the words under "__**A loving mother to her son".**_

"_I love you _Mah-taim?" _He said puzzled. That must be… what his younger brother called their mother!_

_Mozen tried the spell again. "Take me to Dad."_

_Instantly, he was standing in a village. People were shouting and running. Then, a man ran past in a blue cloak._

"Dad!" _He cried, and ran after him. He stopped in horror when his father grabbed another man, pulled him up by his coat, and stole money from his pocket, then dropped him back to the floor, before moving on._

_A tear slid down his face. "Take me away from here. Take me to my brother."_

_Mozen found himself standing on a rooftop back in Agrabah. He looked around wistfully, and his gaze caught on a small boy, wearing a purple vest, white trousers and a red fez. He was carrying an odd, large, green fruit. _Aladdin's jaw dropped.

_The boy was running away from an angry looking man. Mozen looked__ around frantically. He spotted a brown sheet, and tossed it off of the side. As predicted, the man stumbled as it fell over his face._

_The boy glanced over his shoulder, and stopped running. He looked up, puzzled. Mozen leapt down and stood next to him. Mozen stiffened for a moment- the boy resembled his father so much- _

"_Who are you?" The boy said._

"_My name is Mozen." Mozen paused, hoping to see recognition click in the boy's eyes, but nothing appeared- hadn't his parents ever mentioned him? _

"_OI!" The man who had been chasing the boy got up, and began to run toward them._

"_Run!" The boy said, as he turned and fled. Mozen began to run after him, when a thin but strong hand seized his shoulder. The boy stopped and looked back at Mozen._

_"Oh no you don't!" Destane's voice sliced through Mozen, making him shudder. "Who's your friend?"_

_Mozen saw flashes of Destane, torturing his brother the way Destane had done to him. "_Aladdin, RUN!" _He yelled as he and Destane disappeared._

* * *

_"This'll teach you from running away again, boy!" Destane hissed. He struck Mozen across the face, and he stumbled backwards into a wall. A purple bruise began to form under his right eye. "I'll be expecting you in my chambers once you've composed yourself." With that, Destane vanished._

_Mozen slowly rubbed the bruise. He stood up slowly, and considered running back to Agrabah, but Destane could easily get him back, and he couldn't risk Destane killing or harming his only remaining family member. Slowly, reluctantly, fearfully- Mozen made his way up the stairs, and quietly, whispered a song._

_"With one lamp lit, in one room,  
I know you're up, and not alone.  
With one small step upon the stair,  
I know your look when I get there  
If you were a king, up there on your throne,  
would you be wise enough to let me go?  
For this slave you think you oh-hown  
Wants to be a survivour, again  
wants to see my brother, again  
to take a chance on life, again.  
__So let me go-oh.__So let me go,  
let me leave._

_The unread book and painful look..._  
_They'll be one long pause,_  
_then you begin._  
_'Oh look what the cat's brought in',_  
_If you were a king, up there on your throne,_  
_would you be wise enough to let me go?_  
_For this slave you think you oh-hown_  
_Wants to be a survivour, again_  
_wants to see my brother, again_  
_to take a chance on life, again._

_For the chains you've placed upon my wrists feel too heavy now_  
_and I don't know what to say to you but I'll take it anyhow_  
_and all the time I'm thinking, thinking_

_I want to be a survivour, again_  
_I want to see my brother, again_  
_to take a chance on life, again_  
_so let me go."_

_As he pulled himself up the last step, Destane's door opened. Mozen stumbled inside._

_Standing before him was Destane, and a woman with long, straight black hair, defined cheekbones, and heavy purple eyeshadow. She wore a white dress, with a blue waist and a red cloak._

_"Boy! This is my sister, Mirage." _A gasp rippled through Aladdin and his friends.

_"Oh look at him. He looks so tiny." Mirage said, in mock adoration. "And his skin is so pale! Which in my opinion," Mirage's arm reached towards Mozen and seized his shoulder. "is just ASKING to be bruised." Mozen staggered back a few steps._

_"Stay still." Destane said lazily, flicking a small spell in Mozen's direction. Mozen was instantly still._

_Mirage stretched out her hand, and placed her fingernail against the skin above Mozen's left eyebrow. She slowly dragged her nail over his eyebrow, down his cheek until she reached the corner of his mouth, where she pulled her nail back, satisfied._

_"His skin was too easy to tear." She smirked. _

_Mozen raised his hands to his face... where Mirage had dragged her nail, there was a red line that slowly let blood leak out. Mozen's hands became covered in blood._

* * *

_Later that evening, when Mozen was allowed to leave (with the cut still on the left side of his face from Mirage, and his right eye swollen shut by a bruise from Destane) he went straight to the library and began reading up on how to defeat Destane. He discovered that his magic could be stronger IF he had a familiar, as Destane didn't have one. He set to work on the potion in secret- knowing that it could take up to a month._

_Over the next few weeks, Destane frequently threatened Mozen by showing him images of Aladdin sleeping, then the cut Mirage gave Mozen, along with the Destane's bruise would slowly materialize on Aladdin's face. Aladdin would wake up, place a panicked hand to his face, whilst Mozen screamed at Destane to leave him alone, and yes he would do whatever cruel thing Destane was telling him to do._

_Finally, the potion was finished, and Mozen scooped some out into a ladle. He tiptoed into Destane's lab, and over to the fish tank, which was filled with tiny grey and blue tadpoles. Mozen stuck his hand in and, pinching a tadpole's tail, he lifted it up and let it go above the ladle filled with the potion, which it fell into with a _plop!

_The tadpole writhed and squirmed whilst the potion absorbed into its skin. It began to make a high-pitched whistling noise which slowly morphed into a scream as its body lengthened, until the tadpole became an eel, about half the length of what Xerxes was now, and with red irises in both eyes, as apposed to what Xerxes had at the moment: one iris red, one white._

_"Er..." Mozen whispered to the motionless eel. He prodded it. "Are you alive?" It didn't move. Mozen sniffed. "I killed you?"_

_The creature stirred. "No." It said, making Mozen jump._

_"Did I hurt you?" Mozen asked._

_"Yes." The eel replied._

_"I'm so sorry! I didn't know it would hurt you!" I wouldn't have done it if I did!"_

_"Don't worry." The eel flew upwards. "I am happy. I fly! I talk!" It looped around._

_"Do you have a name?" Mozen asked._

_"Xerxionasialen." It replied. Mozen looked blank. "Or Xerxes." It replied._

_"Okay. Xerxes." Mozen stood still as Xerxes flew down. Mozen rubbed under his chin._

_Xerxes stiffened. "Your master!" He cried, just as Destane stormed in._

_"What is that?" Destane asked, calmly._

_"Er... he-I-I..." Mozen stuttered. Destane lifted one finger, and in a flash of red light, Mozen was thrown to the floor. He rubbed the back of his head where it had painfully clanged against the stone floor._

_Destane raised one foot and placed it on Mozen's chest. He slowly began to press down on it. Mozen coughed and gasped as his lungs were slowly crushed._

_"One more incident like this boy, and you will pay." Destane said. He turned and walked out of the room._

_

* * *

_

Mozen did behave himself for a while, once or twice he go beaten really badly for something, but mostly, he behaved and only was kicked a little bit. That is, until the age of seventeen.

Mozen was (as usual) sleeping on the dungeon's cold floor, with Xerxes curled up on his back, when he was suddenly seized, and dragged to Destane's lab. His hands were tied to the wall just above his head- the same way Mzenrath would later do to Aladdin and Co.

Destane shoved him forward onto his knees. "What are you DOING?" Mozen yelped. "Where's Xerxes?" Destane smirked, and glanced over his shoulder. Mozen followed his gaze- to the furnace.

"He's powering my latest piece of machinary." Destane laughed at the expression on Mozen's face. "Ah, here we go." Destane held up a strange, glowing, tweezer-like object.

"What's that?" Mozen whispered.

"I don't know... but I could use it to hurt your brother." Destane said, looking thoughtful. Instantly, Mozen's mind flitted to Aladdin. "Got it." Destane laughed, and before Mozen could even move, Destane had sunk the tweezers into his forehead. Mozen flinched, then shuddered as Destane pulled it out. The tweezers held a strange black thread of light.

"What did you do?" Mozen said, breathing heavily.

"Do you have a brother?" Destane asked calmly.

"Er... no...? Did you- did you steal my memory of him?" Mozen said. If he DID have a brother, Mozen couldn't remember him.

"And your parents?"

"Oh no... please give them back! The memories of them is all I have left!"

"Ah, but you don't even have THAT anymore!" Destane laughed, and the thread dissolved."So, boy, what's your name?"

"I... I don't... know."

Destane laughed hard. "That's because your parents name you- but as you don't remember them, you don't know your name!"

"What-?" Mozen began.

"Mozenrath. Your name is Mozenrath. Now, I'm pretty sure you'll be joining your mother soon."

"What? Where is she? What-"

"Quiet." Destane snarled, and the furnace glowed. Destane fastened a long metal pole to the side of the furnace, and pointed the other end at Mozenrath's chest. A long, sharp needle began to approach him. "Now then Mozenrath, say goodbye to your power, mind, and humantiy. Hope you enjoy being a mamluk."

"No!" Mozenrath cried. He looked at the glowing furnace, and spotted Xerxes, slithering out of it. He looked to his right, where Destane, was standing laughing. "No!" Mozenrath yelled, and he raised his leg and kicked the needle to the right, where it plunged into Destane. Mozenrath shuddered and looked the other way as Destane screamed.

"You will pay for this boy! You will PAY!" The furnace glowed brighter, and shot a beam at Mozenrath, who tilted his head back, hair billowing around his face.

In a sharp flash, Mozenrath was standing there, wearing the outfit everyone would soon know, and the gauntlet. Mozenrath spun round, and observed Destane, who was now an oddly coloured mamluk. He then looked to Xerxes, whose eyes looked odd, but still seemed intact.

"Xerxes... do you realize what just happened? We just defeated THE MOST POWERFUL SORECEROR IN THE SEVEN DESERTS!" He looked awestruck. "Think of what we could do! We could RULE the Seven Deserts!"

* * *

The memory faded, and everyone looked around. Aladdin was lying down beside the rock Mozenrath was behind. He was muttering something. Mozenrath stood up sharply and walked over to the other side of the cave.

"I don't deserve your pity, Streetrat." Mozenrath said, sounding like his old self.

"Ye-" Aladdin began, but was cut off. His eyes glowed green. "No, you don't." He snarled in Destane's voice. Mozenrath whirled around.

"Aladdin?" Aladdin's eyes went brown again.

"Mozenrath- _run!" _Aladdin cried desperately, before his eyes swirled green again, and he leapt, knocking Mozenrath to the floor. Aladdin raised his left paw, claws out. He stiffened, and Aladdin's voice cried out. "Someone! _Get him away!"_

Mozenrath's right hand seized Aladdin's right paw, and there was a flash. When the light cleared, Aladdin was lying in Mozenrath's place, back in his human form, except he was wearing Mozenrath's clothes. Whilst standing over him, was a white lion, with a black curled mane, and thin, black stripes like a tiger as appossed to Aladdin's old brown coat with leopard spots. And he also had black spikes abive his eyes too, and his eyes were exactly the same.

"Whoa- what just happened?" Sadira asked.

_"Aladdin!" _Jasmine cried joyfully, and dropped to her knees beside him. Mozenrath walked back a few steps, and sat down.

"Master all right?" Xerxes asked.

"Other than the fact I have just opened myself up to become my most deadly enemy's pet _yes _Xerxes, I am fine."

"I meant vision." Xerxes muttered. Everyone looked at Mozenrath, who stared at his tail.

Aladdin stood up, and offered his gauntlet-ed hand out to Mozenrath. "Aladdin!" Jasmine said. "No... please."

"Jasmine- it was me who got hit by the potion. I should take... it- the consequences." Aladdin said, looking back at Mozenrath.

"I was the one who angered Destane in the first place. _I _should pay the price. Not you- it would mean all my attempts to keep you alive during my childhood would have been in vain." Mozenrath replied.

"Of all the things for Al and Mozenrath to argue about, this isn't what I would expect." Iago said, flying down next to Abu.

"Nuh-uh." Abu agreed.

"Master, you must!" Xerxes tried to push Mozenrath's right paw into Aladdin's outstretched hand. Jasmine held Aladdin's wrist.

"Jasmine... he's completely vunerable to Destane right now." Aladdin muttered to her. Mozenrath looked fearful for a moment, then stretched out his paw.

"I promise I'll make him switch back if we don't get the Blade." Mozenrath said. looking at Jasmine.

"Thank-" She began, before pressing her lips together. She placed her hands on Aladdin's face and kissed him slowly, half-hoping he would then change his mind. Aladdin blinked twice, and smiled at Jasmine, before looking back at Mozenrath and putting his hand on Mozenrath's paw.

There was a flash, and Aladdin was back as a lion creature, and Mozenrath was back as a human.

"Seriously. What just happened?" Sadira asked again. Cassim turned to her.

"It happened earlier today too- when ever my sons right hands come into contact, their bodies and spirits get mixed up." Cassim said.

"Actually I think it's this..." Mozenrath held up his right hand. "The gauntlet."

"That's right!" Genie said suddenly. "You two are the only ones to have worn that, right?"

"Yes..." Mozenrath said slowly.

"And after the spirit switching incident, and the fact that you're both so closely related, means you are both highly susceptable to change." Genie summed up.

Aladdin gave Mozenrath a sideways glance. "That's weird." Mozenrath looked at Aladdin in exasperation.

"Oh really? And to think I assumed you forgot the meaning of weird ages ago."

"Er, guys, don't you think we should _get going?" _Iago yelled loudly.

"Birdman has a point." Genie said. "After all, we do all want the same things."

"Okay, let's go." Jasmine said, as the wall opened up.


	18. Chapter 18 An Oustsider's Interference

An Outsider's Inteference

The group were walking along- Sadira and Genie were hesitantly peeping around every corner up at the front- with Carpet hovering beside them. Iago sat on Carpet, bottom sticking up into the air, wings covering his eyes. Cassim and Jasmine were in the middle, but they both kept speeding up to talk to the others up front, or slowing down to talk to Aladdin, who would only give short, one-worded answers. Aladdin was walking slowly at the back, keeping pace with Mozenrath, who was walking along with a lost expression on his face. Xerxes flew above Mozenrath, and Abu walked behind them all, looking almost dazed.

Aladdin was watching Mozenrath carefully, before he spoke. "Mozenrath- what's that on your face?" He asked, hesitantly. Sadira glanced over her shoulder.

"What?" Mozenrath looked down at Aladdin.

"Er... I dunno." Aladdin looked at the floor. "It kinda looks like you've been hit in the face."

Mozenrath looked upwards and glared at Sadira, who whipped her head around, blushing. Aladdin became quiet as Mozenrath followed a line down his face, where Mirage had always scratched him. Aladdin felt horrible- Mozenrath must have thought that the cut had appeared on his face. Aladdin pictured his child self, sleeping with the same marking on his face, and how Mozen had been willing to sacrifice anything to prevent him from being tortured...

A few minutes later, Jasmine was doubling back for the fourth time whilst Cassim was up front, questioning Genie.

"Are you okay?" Jasmine asked Aladdin.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" Jasmine asked again.

"Yes." Aladdin said again. He wasn't looking at Jasmine. He was watching Mozenrath with a sad expression on his face. Jasmine could easily picture that expression on Aladdin's human face.

"Aladdin..." Jasmine said, her voice breaking a little. Aladdin stopped and looked at her, suddenly worried.

"Jasmine? What is it?" Aladdin asked, looking up at her.

"Aladdin... I-I..." Jasmine sobbed and dropped to her knees, and wrapped her arms around his neck, buring her face into his mane. "I'm afraid... I'm afraid that I'll lose you." Aladdin was taken aback slightly. He slowly pulled back and looked into Jasmine's tear-spilling eyes.

"Jasmine, we haven't lost each other before, and never will. We'll pull through. We always have, and always will." He smiled at her. She smiled and pressed her face against his cheek.

Mozenrath began walking fast to give them some privacy, and Xerxes followed him.

Jasmine looked into Aladdin's eyes, then leant forward and sung quietly into Aladdin's pointed ear.

________

_Through wind and rain, we got here,  
Now we're flying here, with no fear,  
We've been doing pain for so long,  
But when I stare in your eyes it's all gone._

Through wind and rain we burn bright,  
Learn to fly through flames and hold tight,  
With so many ways to go wrong,  
But when I look in your eyes they're all gone.

And in my dreams it feels like we are forever tall,  
When your around, ooh, we're untouchable.  
And in my dreams it feels like we aren't ever gonna fall,  
We're safe and sound, and we're untouchable.

It's only real when your not around,  
I'm walking in the rain, the sun goes down, oh, oh.  
And only love can save us now,  
I need you here again to show me how, oh, oh.

I know that love shouldn't be so hard,  
And sometimes we're standing in the dark,  
But you light up everywhere I go.

And I know a heart shouldn't beat so hard,  
And sometimes we're swimming with the sharks,  
But you light up and keep me out the cold.

And in my dreams it feels like we are forever tall,  
When your around, ooh, we're untouchable.  
And in my dreams it feels like we aren't ever gonna fall,  
We're safe and sound, and we're untouchable.

It's only real when you're not around woah  
The candle in my hand is burning out,

I know that love shouldn't be so hard,  
And sometimes we're standing in the dark,  
But you light up everywhere I go.

And I know a heart shouldn't beat so hard,  
And sometimes we're swimming with the sharks,  
But you light up and keep me out the cold.

And in my dreams it feels like we are forever tall,  
When your around, ooh, we're untouchable.  
And in my dreams it feels like we aren't ever gonna fall,  
We're safe and sound, and we're untouchable.

_Whenever your gone, gone,  
They wait at the door,  
And everything's hurting like a bore,  
Without any meaning,  
We're just getting bored,  
Like beautiful angels dancing alone._

Whenever your gone, gone,  
They wait at the door,  
And everything's hurting like a bore,  
Without any meaning,  
We're just getting bored,  
Like beautiful angels dancing alone.

And in my dreams it feels like we are forever tall,  
When your around, ooh, we're untouchable.  
And in my dreams it feels like we aren't ever gonna fall,  
We're safe and sound, and we're untouchable.

Aladdin and Jasmine looked at each other for a moment, then smiled. Jasmine kissed Aladdin's forehead. Aladdin stood up and began walking.

"What?" Jasmine asked, surprised at his abrupt departure.

"I need to hurry up and break this curse." He stopped and looked back at her. "I want to return that kiss." Jasmine smiled, tears sliding like crystal drops down her cheeks, feeling her heart quietly break.

Abu, still acting slightly intoxicated, stumbled into Jasmine's heels. Jasmine turned and scooped him up. "Abu? What's the matter with you?"

Aladdin began to walk forward. "What is it?"

"He seems a bit dazed." Jasmine said. The floor made a creaking noise. Jasmine gasped, and Abu ran over her shoulder and clung to her back.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin yelled, and his voice echoed around the caves like a desperate siren.

The others up front swung around, and sprinted back, to find Aladdin, reaching down a hole in the floor. Jasmine grasped his paws. Aladdin felt so useless right now- his paws were unable to help pull his wife and friend to safety.

With a zap Genie materialized a rope out of thin air, which wrapped around Jasmine, and started pulling her to safety.

The ground shook under Aladdin, and he began slipping in. Unthinkingly, Mozenrath reached to help.

"Bad move!" Iago yelled. "You'll change-"

It was too late. In another flash, a half-transformed Mozenrath flew backwards, and a half-transformed Aladdin tumbled into the hole, his foot catching around Abu's middle, dragging him down too. They both fell through the air, tumbling into the hole, which sealed up the second they through.

"Aladdin! No!" Jasmine cried. Deja materialized on top of the rock that had sealed the hole.

"The next trial, has began." He said formally, holding his head up high, eyes closed. His eyes opened and he started to speak, but stopped, staring at Jasmine. "Why are you still here?"

"Me?" Jasmine said, in a wavering voice.

"You... and the monkey, you to were supposed to fall through the hole, the next trial needs the other eight to rescue them." Deja said, suddenly looking like he was dreading something.

"You've got to be joking." Mozenrath stood up. Everyone stared at him. His face was patterend with black tiger-stripes. His teeth were pointed, he had claws, two small spikes protruded from his forehead above his eyebrows, and his eyes- the exact same reddish-brown cat eyes that mirrored Aladdin's.

"You've seen the memories? It's obvious Aladdin wouldn't have let his monkey and princess fall without trying to save them." Mozenrath continued, then paused to look at everyone staring at him. "What?" He said irritably.

"Son..." Cassim said, gesturing to his head with his hand. Mozenrath mimicked this, then noticed the change.

"Oh how delightful." Mozenrath said, trying to look like he couldn't care less.

"What about Aladdin?" Jasmine asked.

"Well..." Deja swung his horn, and the group were teleported.

* * *

"Ohh..." Aladdin groaned. "I think I've been unconcious more times today then I've ever been in my whole life."

Abu thought about it for a moment- about all the adventures they'd been on, and how often Aladdin had been knocked out. "Er... nuh uh."

Aladdin laughed weakly. "Maybe you're right." He then noticed his surroundings. "Huh? Hey! What's going on?"

Aladdin had just realized that he was tied up by a rope which was wound around his torso several times, and his ankles firmly tied too. A chain wound around Abu's middle- an odd lock held it in place. Rummaging for his lockpicks, Abu shook his head and squeaked.

"None of your lockpicks can open it?" Aladdin asked in despair.

"Nuh uh." Abu replied, and he immediately began chewing on the thick rope.

Aladdin glanced around. The only way out he could see was a hole in the floor in between him and Abu, and another hole in a nearby wall. "Having any luck with that chain, Abu?" He asked, without hope.

"Bleurgh." Abu said, pulling up and wiping the taste of iron off of his tongue. He looked at Aladdin, who was at the same stage of transformation as Mozenrath, except Aladdin had pointed ears and a forked tongue too. He began chattering in monkey-speak.

"I know, I'm not as lion-like as I was, thank heaven." Aladdin said. He glanced down at himself. "I think I can..." He began wriggling his hands behind his back. "My claws... I think I could cut these ropes." Aladdin said, concentrating. Abu began squeaking joyfully. Aladdin leant forward slightly to peer down the hole in the floor. "Oh no..."

"What?" Abu squeaked.

"Don't look down." Aladdin said.

* * *

Deja and the others materialized in a huge cave that was clearly deep underground- the cave walls were keeping the island up from the sea, but there were holes in them, showing sunlight in, and seawater, so everytime a wave hit one of the holes,

Deja nodded towards a teardrop-shaped rock that was hanging from the ceiling, over the other side of the cave... at least a mile away.

"Aladdin and Abu are in there," He explained.

"Up there?" Iago shrieked. As he spoke, there was a flash and the cave seemed to grow dark, as if there were a storm brewing inside. The seawater began churning and wind began to blow.

Deja nodded. "Now, they are tied up and the tide is rising fast. See that raft down there?" Deja indicated to a small raft made of logs. "Attached to it is the key to unlock the chains that has tied up the monkey."

"What about Aladdin?" Cassim said warily.

"He's tied up with rope. He'll probably figure out that his claws can cut through them, but I don't think he'll try to get out without his friend." Deja explained. There was a noise like a knife being sharpened, and the group turned to look at Mozenrath, who was reatracting his claws, then pushing them out again.

Sadira, Jasmine and Genie went over to the raft. Jasmine climbed on, but it fell apart, and Genie seized her and tugged her back.

"It's falling apart!" Sadira exclaimed, and looked at Deja.

"Sorry," Deja said. "but you're going to have to get the raft to work using your resources." Genie turned himself into a rope, and wound the wooden raft back together. Genie separated himself from the rope and tied it into a knot.

"That should hold it together, but not for long." Genie said, and turned around. "Oh no."

"The tide is definately rising." Jasmine said fearfully. "Let's go."

The struggled onto the raft, which creaked loudly. There were sticks poking up out of the raft in each corner and the middle.

"Those are to steer the raft," Deja called before disappearing.

"Urgh. Talk about creepy." Iago grumbled.

"We're wasting time," Mozenrath said a dark voice, in a way that made Genie, Jasmine, Carpet and Iago think of old times. Everyone hastily got into place: Jasmine ran to the front right steering stick, Cassim was at the front left one, Genie in the middle, Sadira and Mozenrath were occuping the middle, and Carpet, Xerxes and Iago were lying on the raft in between Jasmine and Cassim.

The weak rock that the raft was on broke, and the raft slid into the water. Iago staggered over to the steering stick that Genie was operating. There was a twisted metal key inside it. Iago grabbed it and pulled. It came out slightly, but a string held it in place- Iago could only pull it about one metre away from the raft.

"Not good." He grumbled. A flash of orange caught his eye in the water, but when he swung around it was gone. "Er... Jasmine!" Iago called. Struggling in the wind, Iago dropped the key and flew onto Jasmine's shoulder.

"Iago?" Jasmine yelled over the wind, "What?"

"I thought I saw Ahh! It's her!" Iago began yelling and pointing into the sea.

"Who?" Jasmine asked. Xerxes began making a weird shrieking noise as something attempted to pull him into the sea. Carpet pulled him free.

Sadira stood still. "What was that?"

Saleen slowly rose up from the water, and placed her elbows on the side of the raft and swung her hair flirtatiously. Jasmine's eyes became the fiery pits of hell.

"Let's see... oh! He's not here." Saleen sighed. She swung her head to look at the rock where Aladdin and Abu were tied up. "Well, I'll catch you all later." She disappeared mockingly into the water.

"GENIE! Speed us up!" Jasmine yelled.

"Righty ho," Genie said, rolling up his arms like they were sleeves. "Now... uh oh. I can't use monkeyboy..."

"Improvise!" Iago groaned/screamed.

"Well, as you're volunteering..." Genie grinned cockily, and turned Iago into a large red version of Xerxes, except he kept his parrot head, and his fins were blue. Xerxes looked at Genie puzzled. "You too?" Genie asked, and Xerxes grew to the same size as Iago- about the width of Carpet and double the length.

"What are you doing?" Iago yelled, thrashing about on the raft. Xerxes started grumbling.

"Taking long, elemental reach Aladdin! Stupid Genie."

Iago stopped thrashing for a second. "Well said Wormboy." Iago said, then continued thrashing. His tail whacked Sadira across the stomach, and she fell backwards off of the raft, but then a swirl of blue and black fire-like magic curled around her and gently placed her back in her place. She followed the magic with her eyes as it retreated back inside Mozenrath's gauntlet. Mozenrath had his head lowered, and he focused on the raft.

Sadira swallowed "Er thank-" Mozenrath raised his head and looked at her coldly. "-you." Sadira said, looking away.

Genie zapped Xerxes and Iago, and they were raised up and into the water. Brown leather harnesses appeared around them and attached to the raft.

"Come on, go!" Cassim called, and Xerxes and Iago began swimming through the water.

* * *

"Almost...got it..." Aladdin said. There was a slash, and the rope around his torso fell apart. "Yes!" Aladdin leant forward and sliced the rope constricting his ankles.

He stood up and looked at himself. He was wearing the navy vest and blue trousers Saleen had conjured up. He tapped his hair lightly where his fez normally would have been, but it wasn't there.

"Must've lost it in the sea when I fell off Carpet." Aladdin mumbled. Abu made some unintelligible squeaks. "Genie didn't mean to!" Aladdin said defensively. "Now, let's get you outta here..." Aladdin tugged on the chains, tried to pick the lock, but it wouldn't work. "Ok..." Aladdin murmered. He lightly jumped over the hole in the floor and ran over to the hole in the wall.

"Ok Abu..." Aladdin said. "We're in a rock, that's hanging up high up above water- which is rising."

"Uh-oh..." Abu whimpered.

"But I can see them!" Aladdin said excitedly.

"Who?" Abu asked.

"The others! They're coming this way on some sort of boat. I guess the trial is to free us."

"Oh. Uh huh." Abu said. Aladdin went and peered down the hole in the floor.

"I hope they hurry up. The water isn't slowing down." Aladdin murmered. He saw Abu's frightened little face. "But don't worry Abu. We'll get out ok. We alays do, remember?" Abu nodded.

Just then, the room filled with a ghostly laughter. They didn't realize Saleen was using her magic to lift herself and Armand into the rock with them. Aladdin was about to peer down the hole, when Saleen, followed by Armand, slid up through the hole in the floor between Abu and Aladdin. Aladdin stumbled back. Saleen smiled, and sang mockingly.

________

_"We are the crowd,_  
_We're coming out._  
_Got my starfish on it's true,_  
_An the spell I'll but on you,_  
_It's so magi-cal,_  
_We'd be so fantastic, oh._

_I'll be-come your queen,_  
_Worth more than a prin-cess,_  
_Bet-cha not sure what I mean,_  
_But the image of us_  
_It doesn't have a price_  
_Are you ready for those blinding lights?_  
_'Cause you know that Aladdin, I-_

_I'm your biggest fan,_  
_I'll follow you until you love me._  
_You'll be under my, enchantment...  
__Aladdin there's no other, prince out there_  
_You know that only you could be_  
_Under, under my enchantment..._

_I don't promise to be kind,_  
_'Cause I won't stop until that boy is mine._  
_Al, you'll be famous,_  
_Chase you down until you love me,_  
_Enchant-enchantment._

_Shadow is burnt, yellow dance and return_  
_My lashes are dry - invisible teardrops I cry,_  
_It don't have a price_  
_Lov-ing you isn't hard,_  
_'Cause you know that Aladdin, I-_

_I'm your biggest fan,_  
_I'll follow you until you love me._  
_You'll be under my, enchantment...  
__Aladdin there's no other, prince out there_  
_You know that only you could be_  
_Under, under my enchantment..._

_I don't promise to be kind,_  
_'Cause I won't stop until that boy is mine._  
_Al, you'll be famous,_  
_Chase you down until you love me,_  
_Enchant-enchantment._

_This will be good, We'll be dancing past your Princ-ess,  
Snap-snap, then she'll cry,  
Her heart out.  
__I won't stop, for anyone,_  
_I can be vicious but I still, have, fun!_

_I'm your biggest fan,_  
_I'll follow you until you love me._  
_You'll be under my, enchantment...  
__Aladdin there's no other, prince out there_  
_You know that only you could be_  
_Under, under my enchantment..._

___I don't promise to be kind,_  
_'Cause I won't stop until that boy is mine._  
_Al, you'll be famous,_  
_Chase you down until you love me,_  
_Enchant-enchantment."_

Saleen smiled as she finished her song. Passing her hand over her body, she transformed herself into her "human" appearence. Aladdin looked out the hole in the wall.

"Guys!" He yelled out. "Saleen's here!". He couldn't tell if anyone heard.

"Don't be like that, Al." Saleen said, emphasizing movement with her tongue.

"Look, Saleen-" Aladdin held up a hand. "You can't keep doing this. I'm married, and-"

"Yes, the princess is pregnant." Saleen waved her hand. Aladdin winced. Was he the only person who didn't realize right away?

"Er... and you don't know what you're up against- I'm slowly becoming-"

"I think you'll find I _do_." Saleen said smugly, hands on hips. She waved her hand, and a greenish black flame shot out of Aladdin's chest, and he was instantly human.

"What?" He murmered nervously.

"Your brother's former master's spirit was turning you into a familiar, yes." Saleen said.

"How did you know that?" Aladdin asked slowly.

"Oh Aladdin- do you recall that fez you were wearing earlier?" Saleen cooed.

"Yes..." Aladdin said warily.

Saleen folded her arms behind her back. "Well, what if a hair were to be left on the inside of it? And a hair that coincedently _was _attached to your head? Tell me Aladdin, what's inside your head?"

"Er- my brain?"

"Very good. Now what if, using my amazing powers, I were to turn this hair into a stream of memories and make them my own?"

Aladdin stared at her, eyes wide. _"What?"_

"Yes- I have all your memories. True, some weren't to my taste, but many were useful." She laughed.

"Uh oh..." Abu whispered.

"That's right, little monkey. Uh oh." Saleen smirked, then she swayed over to Aladdin. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and Aladdin immediately tried to pull them off. "Oh honey." Saleen whispered. "You leave me no choice." She waved her hand over Aladdin, and he became still.

"Huh?" Abu said.

"Binding spell." Saleen said. "Now then, Aladdin- or should I call you _Prince Ali?"_ She leant forward slowly, making it obvious she was going to kiss Aladdin.

Aladdin shook himself, ducked under Saleen's arms and started running, knocking off Saleen's crown as he did. She let out a shriek as it tumbled through the hole in the floor and into the churning water.

"You broke free of a binding spell?" Saleen said. "Okay then, new plan." She pointed one finger at Aladdin, who was trying in vain to free Abu. A swirl of water and tiny pink shapes surrounded Aladdin like a whirlpool, and he gasped. When it vanished, Aladdin fell to the floor and looked at himself in horror.

"Oh boy." He groaned. His legs had been replaced by a brown shark's tail. His shirt was gone too. Abu made a squeaking noise, mouth hanging open.

"Aladdin, you look so handsome like this. Merman is a great look for you." Saleen purred. Aladdin swallowed and looked at Abu.

* * *

Meanwhile, the others on the raft were slowly but surely struggling toward the rock.

After a moment, Mozenrath yelped, and he became human.

"Er... how did that happen?" Sadira asked.

"Saleen's messing with Aladdin." Mozenrath hissed. The raft was frantically sped up when Mozenrath stiffened.

Sadira noticed straight away. "_Guys! Mozenrath-"_ She gestured helplessly. After a second, Mozenrath moved again.

"Binding spell." He gasped. "Saleen put Aladdin under a _binding spell_- he couldn't move, but then he broke free. Move it!"

Once again the raft sped up, when Sadira spotted something in the water. She scooped it out- it was Saleen's crown.

"Er- Mozenrath, what's this?"

"Hey! Sadira got the elemental's crown!" Mozenrath called, laughing bitterly. "It was floating in the water- maybe Aladdin killed her." Mozenrath's laughter scared the group- it was without humour, and it seemed to be too shakey.

The gang immediately began working, except for Cassim, who turned to look at Mozenrath. He froze. "Mozen!" He shouted, as Mozenrath was surrounded by Saleen's magic, and toppled forward as he became a merman.

Like Aladdin, Mozenrath's top half was bare, except he still had his gauntlet, and his shark tail was navy blue, not brown. He raised his head and looked back at himself.

"Alas..." He groaned. "I wonder how my brother is coping?" He swun his head to look at Sadira, just in time to see her glance away, as she had been staring at his back.

* * *

"Saleen..." Aladdin said in a reasoning voice. "You really don't want to do this." He used his arms to push himself backwards.

"Mmm why's that?"

"Because-" Aladdin began. "because _I _don't want this."

The raft just arrived, and the group pulled it against the rock.

Saleen knelt beside Aladdin, looking in his eyes.

The boat was along side the cave wall- up at the top was the rock Aladdin and Abu were trapped in. Jasmine leapt at it, and began rapidly climbing. The force of her leap sent the raft backwards, and the others struggled to get it back. Mozenrath began levitating himself after Jasmine, his shark tail hanging uselessly.

Aladdin was still talking to Saleen. "Look at Armand!" He turned and gestured to the startled octopus. "He _adores _you, yet you're always after me, when you have Armand. Why do you-" He turned back to see that Saleen was leaning in uncomfortable close. "-always want what you can't have?" He finished faintly.

Saleen leant in closer, whilst Aladdin shuffled backwards.

Jasmine meanwhile had almost reached the rock- but the others were only just catching up. Iago and Xerxes were still giant eels- they were preventing the raft from floating away.

Mozenrath caught up with Jasmine, then he stopped and stared down at Sadira, who was behind him.

"What are you doing?" Sadira hissed.

"The princess is climbing in a dress, so I am politely averting my eyes until she is done." He replied.

Jasmine glared down at him for a second before continuing to climb. She had a bit of trouble with a slight ledge that stuck out, but once she hoisted herself up, she found she was able to look inside the rock. She stiffened at what she saw.

"Aladdin, that's what I _love _about you!" Saleen said. "You're so sweet, so pure. And I'm going to corrupt you." Aladdin began crawling backwards again, but Saleen froze him with a binding spell. She began to slide towards him. She tugged her ponytail loose, letting her hair fall on Aladdin's bare torso. He shuddered, and Saleen laughed, leaning forward, her hair concealing what she was doing.

Saleen leant in, eyes shut and lips puckered. Just as her lips were a hair's width from Aladdin's, Saleen was ploughed aside by a furious Jasmine.

"Go Jasmine!" Sadira cheered, climbing in. As Saleen lay, groaning on the floor, Sadira couldn't help but think about how close _she'd _been to being ploughed aside so painfully too, when she'd been up to her Aladdin scheming skills. Saleen gasped, and Sadira winced slightly, still grinning. "Ouch."

Sadira gasped as Jasmine was seized by a furious Armand. Sadira turned and half-dragged Mozenrath in too. As he fell in a heap on the floor, Sadira twigged that he was under the same binding spell that Aladdin was still under. Sadira let out all her cat-like rage and leapt at Saleen, who immediately forgot about the spell on Aladdin as girl on girl combat ensured.

Aladdin and Mozenrath looked at each other as they turned back into people in a swirl of water. Fortunately (_unfortunate for some~Gingerbizkits :P), _they both had their clothes back on.

Mozenrath immediately looked at Sadira, who was lying flat on her back, with Saleen holding her wrists down. Both Sadira and Saleen were staring at them. Aladdin didn't notice of course- he ran over to Armand and pulled Jasmine free.

"What?" Mozenrath snapped at Sadira.

"Er- nothing." Sadira replied, still ogling. She was amazed by how _good _Mozenrath looked with wisps of water still curling around him until they dissolved. Mozenrath sighed and knocked Saleen aside, who shrieked and yanked out a small amount of hair from Sadira. "Ow! Er-thanks." Sadira said, sitting up.

Genie and Cassim scrambled in, and took in what was happening. Genie noticed Abu, who was shrieking his head off.

"The tide is rising- I can rescue monkey boy!" Genie exclaimed. And he dove downwards to the raft to get the key. A second later, Genie's head popped out of the hole in the floor, and he emerged, tugging the key (still attached to the raft by the rope) towards Abu. Genie silently freed him whilst Aladdin tugged Jasmine free from Armand, and forced her behind his back.

"Hey-" Jasmine hissed.

"Think of the baby." Aladdin replied, smiling slightly at his wife's 'I-can-take-care-of-myself' argument.

Cassim joined Aladdin's right. Mozenrath and Sadira joined Aladdin's left. Genie stood beside Sadira, and Carpet hovered beside Cassim. Iago and Xerxes flew out of the hole in the floor, normal-sized. Iago sat on Cassim's shoulder, Xerxes hovered over Mozenrath and Abu sat on Aladdin's shoulder. They all stared defiantly at Saleen and Armand.

"You're outnumbered, Saleen. Maybe you should just go home." Genie called.

"Aladdin?" Saleen said, looking pitifully at him.

"You should just go." Aladdin muttered. Saleen let out a howl of rage. She tossed a stream of water from her hand at them, plucking a hair/scale/feather/strand from a tassel from each of them, before diving through the hole, Armand hot on her tail.

"No!" Aladdin shouted, leaping forward onto his hands and knees.

"Aladdin, it's fine, just let her sulk." Jasmine said.

"No- you don't get it! The hairs! She gets memories from our _hairs_." Aladdin explained in a rush.

"Ew..." Sadira groaned.

"Are you sure?" Cassim asked, walking forwards.

"_Yes! _She asked if she should call me Prince Ali."

"So?" Mozenrath, Sadira, Cassim and Xerxes said.

"_Oooh _that was freaky... like deja vu..." Genie said. "Ah! Deja!" Genie jumped as Deja appeared in front of them.

"I'm sorry I couldn't prevent her from attacking you." Deja apologized. "She had a blocking spell up here... anyway, moving on." Deja swung his horn, whilst Aladdin and Jasmine looked at each other, worried.


	19. Chapter 19 What Could Have Been

OMG! I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! (Again) Rrrrrr... not to worry. It's here now :)

Okay, I have just realized, when most people picture the characters, they think of the series versions. PLEASE try to imagine them how they appeared in the first movie: Carpet was more light purple and detailed... small things like that. When you think of a better-animated Mozenrath, just think of how Aladdin moved and looked in the first film: in alot of scenes with Aladdin, I can actually imagine a Mozenrath in his place :)

So sorry... it gets a bit confusing a bit further down :S

* * *

What could have been

The group materialized in the same dark room that they had been shown the memories in.

"What are we doing back here?" Iago shrieked on Cassim's shoulder, flapping his wings to make his point. "'Cause if you've got more memories to show us, I think that-" Cassim lightly pinched his beak.

"Shh." Cassim muttered.

"Are we going to be shown more memories?" Jasmine asked warily.

"Not exactly," Deja said. "This trial is of a different sort: I'm going to show you what _could _of happened if one of you ten wasn't born."

"Ah, not a nice thought." Genie said, looking nervous.

"Aladdin? What's wrong with you?" Jasmine said suddenly, making the baby jump. "Sorry," She whispered, patting her stomach then looking at Aladdin.

"I-I don't-" Aladdin was swaying. He looked almost as pale as Mozenrath- who meanwhile looked grey.

"You both look awful!" Sadira said, looking nervously from one to the other.

"Thanks." Mozenrath muttered, then he looked at Aladdin. When he spoke, each word sounded painful. "Let's say on the scale of one to ten, how badly does it hurt when Dest-?" He couldn't finish.

"Oh no." Aladdin murmered.

Mozenrath sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Er- guys? What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to pass out on the floor." Iago said, flying above Aladdin's head.

"Destane. Is. Doing. This." Mozenrath gasped.

Destane's laughter filled the cave. Mozenrath and Aladdin both sucked in a deep breath before tumbling to the floor.

"Aladdin?" Jasmine ran over to Aladdin, brushing his hair off of his face. Cassim hauled Mozenrath's limp body against himself.

"This isn't good." Cassim said, looking from Mozenrath to Aladdin.

"It's not so bad- at least they can't feel pain," Sadira pointed out. Mozenrath's head lolled in Sadira's direction.

"Don't. Give. Him. Any. Ideas-" Mozenrath began, each word sounding more like a shakey breath, before he was cut off by a laugh.

A small swirl of greenish-black smoke was coiling in a spiral in the air above the group. Aladdin and Mozenrath suddenly felt the weakness they were both suffering from disappear. They stood up slowly. Aladdin rubbed his head.

"What-?" Aladdin began.

"He's _weak._" Mozenrath grinned. "That's why he hasn't been bothering you- us, as much as before. He's been getting weaker. And thanks to that elemental undoing the transformation, Destane has to start again. We have more _time."_

"That's...good." Aladdin frowned, thinking. "Mozenrath! I've got an idea."

"What?" Mozenrath said. Aladdin ran over to him, and swung back to look at the green smoke. He reached his right arm behind him and seized Mozenrath's right wrist.

"What are you _doing?" _Mozenrath only just had time to say, before the familiar flash appeared.

'Mozenrath' stood in Aladdin's place, dressed normally minus the gauntlet. 'Aladdin' stood behind him, looking confused. He was wearing the gauntlet. 'Mozenrath' stared at the advancing green smoke.

"What? Aw, come on! Stop _doing _that!" Genie wailed. "You're confusing the reader! Which one of you is which?"

'Aladdin's' mouth opened to reply, but 'Mozenrath' clamped his hand over his mouth violently. 'Aladdin' struggled, but 'Mozenrath' held on. Jasmine ran forward worridly, but 'Mozenrath' gave her a cocky grin as the smoke sunk into his face. He yelped, but that didn't help anybody figure out which brother he was.

'Mozenrath' straightened up, his eyes now cat-like again. 'Aladdin' stormed over.

"That was stupid." He snarled in Mozenrath's voice. 'Mozenrath' shrugged.

"I told you, I have an idea." 'Mozenrath' replied in Aladdin's voice. "Now, all we have to do is switch back..." He held out his hand. 'Aladdin' took it gingerly. The flash appeared, and everything was normal once more.

"Urgh, that was just uneccasary and confusing." Sadira groaned.

"Not really." Aladdin replied cheerily. His eyes had gone back a bit: the only abnormality was that the pupil was a slit. "All that happened was Mozenrath and I changed from our spirits being linked, to our spirits being seperate. I just happened to be in Mozenrath's body when we seperated."

"So, if you and Mozen were still linked," Cassim said, "both of your eyes would have changed completely. But you made it so Destane only changed _your _eyes..."

"Thus meaning, when we went back to having linked spirits, we would only have half-changed eyes." Mozenrath groaned, rolling his eyes (which also had slitty pupils). "Yes, very clever. He could have _killed _you."

"You would have minded?" Aladdin replied, almost sharply. He regretted it instantly. "Sorry."

Everyone was silent for a moment, obviously trying to guess what Mozenrath _would_ have said, if he had answered that question truthfully.

Deja decided to break the silence. "Ahem. Now, if you would kindly step into a circle around this rock," He indicated to a circular rock, which jutted up slightly from the floor, "and I will begin the next trial."

The group obeyed. Deja glanced around. "Would someone volunteer to go first?"

Aladdin raised his hand. "What do you want me to do?"

"It's simple. You stand in this rock, and the others will have a duplicate of themselves in front of them, showing what they would look like if you weren't born."

"Oh." Aladdin muttered. "Okay..." He stepped onto the rock. Instantly, nine whisps of white light shot into each of the other members of the group. Aladdin whirled around, trying to see what they were doing. He focused on Jasmine- and her duplication materialized.

A clone of Jasmine was standing before the original Jasmine. She was thinner, her head was hung and she looked ready to cry. She was wearing a similar version of the red slave outfit Jafar had once conjured up for her- except there was a red veil hanging from her shoulders, which completely concealed her right arm.

"What the?" Sadira asked.

Deja's head was at the same height as Aladdin's. He spoke clearly. "It's quite simple. The Princess and The Diamond first met when The Princess ran away from home. The Princess took an apple from a stand and gave it to a hungry child. The merchant became angry..."

"And tried to amputate my arm." Jasmine realized. "And... Aladdin saved me."

Aladdin paled. "If I wasn't there..." The Jasmine clone raised her right arm, and the veil fell back, revealing that the arm ended just after her elbow.

"Eurgh!" Iago yelped.

"After the merchant did this, The Princess would have screamed." Deja continued. "The palace guards would find her and take her back to the palace. Jafar would then have gone through with his plan to marry The Princess, as The Diamond in the Rough didn't exist to go into the Cave of Wonders. The Diamond wouldn't have been there to stop this, so she would have been forced to marry Jafar under her hypnotized father's orders."

Just then, the Jasmine clone staggered away from something unseen. The real Jasmine jumped out of the way as the clone held up her hands. "Jafar! Leave me alone!" She cried.

"Now now, Princess." Jafar's voice came out of nowhere. "Don't be like that. I'm your _husband. _You must obey me."

The real Jasmine and her clone let out a gasp. The clone was seized by something the group couldn't see. "NO!" She cried, and began struggling.

Sadira winced and focused her gaze on Mozenrath. She gave a start- Mozenrath looked ready to kill.

"Mozenrath?" Sadira whispered. Mozenrath turned to look at her, and Sadira gasped. His teeth were gritted, his fists were clenched and he was breathing heavily. "Mozenrath? Are you okay?" Cassim looked from Jasmine to Mozenrath.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? It's not like a sadistic jackal is attacking that woman over there or anything is it?" He snarled.

"Mozenrath- that isn't real. It's _just an image."_ Sadira said. "Besides, why do you care so much?"

"Because I lo-" Mozenrath swung his head back to look at Jasmine. Mozenrath frowned in confusion. Sadira recoiled like she'd been slapped.

"Because you- what?" She whispered. Cassim stepped forward, looking puzzled.

"Mozen? You can't _care_ her, can you?" Cassim asked. Mozenrath looked desparately from Jasmine to Sadira and Cassim. Finally, his gaze focused on Aladdin, who was staring furiously at the Jasmine clone, who was still fleeing from the unseen Jafar.

"It's _him." _Mozenrath realized aloud. "His emotions... ugh. They're passing into _me." _He stalked up to Aladdin, and gave him a shove. Aladdin swung around to look down at Mozenrath.

"Will you stop that? Whilst our spirits are linked, so are our _emotions."_ Mozenrath snarled. Then he brightened. "Oh and look. Now that the circle is broken, the image is gone." Aladdin looked round, looking at Jasmine, who was staring at the spot her clone had been in. "Now." Mozenrath held up his hand. "Can we become seperated again?"

Aladdin shook his head. "No, because-"

Mozenrath groaned. "I know you're just being your usual heroic self, but..." Mozenrath grabbed Aladdin's right shoulder and gave a tug, forcing Aladdin to bend over slightly. "Let's face it." Mozenrath whispered into his ear, making sure only Aladdin heard. "If I'm stuck with you for much longer, I'll end up loving the princess almost as much as you do."

Aladdin recoiled, and prodded the gauntlet with his right fingers. The flash appeared and disappeared. Everything was the same as before, except now Aladdin was completely normal, and Mozenrath's eyes were completely cat-like.

"What? What did you say, Moze?" Genie asked. Mozenrath just gave him a typical evil stare, and Genie was silent.

"Now- sorry about that- should we continue?" Deja said. "I think I should probably tell you: to see someone's alternate duplicate, it's simple. You just look at them To make it vanish, focus on the next person."

"Okay." Aladdin swallowed, and glanced at his father. Cassim stood there, expectantly, but nothing happened. "Er-? What happened?"

"Isn't it obvious? Our old man would have _died."_ Mozenrath said, leering slightly. But only a little bit. He paused. "Why?"

"Well, if your mother wasn't pregnant with him, she would have assisted your father in the search for you." Deja said to Mozenrath. "They would have reached the Land of the Black Sand, where they would have been murdered by Destane in front of you." Deja said. "And then... it got a bit messy. Let's just say, without your family, you had no desire to live."

"Well, no point in asking me then." Mozenrath said, looking distant. Cassim gritted his teeth. Aladdin looked over at Iago.

"No no no no no!" Iago said. "What if I'm- whoooa." The Iago duplicate was reclining on a small chair, eating grapes.

"He'd still be Jafar's familiar." Deja explained. Aladdin nodded. He decided to move on quickly, before Iago decided Aladdin _shouldn't _have beem born.

"Uh-oh." Abu squeaked.

"Don't worry Abu- it isn't real, whatever it is." Aladdin said, reassuringly. A second later, Abu's clone appeared.

Abu screeched at the creature that had appeared before him, whilst everyone else flinched, (Genie turned into a blue-skinned Mrytle from _Lilo & Stitch,_ and cried "Eww, get it away from me! I'm gonna get a disease!") except for Aladdin and Mozenrath, who both had raised their eyebrows and widened their eyes slightly, looking so much alike that they could have been twins.

The Abu duplicate was hairier than the normal Abu, and had teeth sticking out from his mouth in various angles. His body was also covered in small spikes.

"Now, this is what The Liberator would have looked like if he'd been stuck inside the Destiny Stone along with Minos, Fatima and Aziz." Deja explained.

"Er- what?" Sadira asked. She, Cassim, Mozenrath and Xerxes were looking rather blank.

"Lo-o-ong story." Genie said, running his fingers along a roll of tape measure.

"Oh!" Sadira jumped as an image of herself appeared in front of her (Aladdin had turned his gaze to her whilst everyone was looking at Genie).

She was wearing a long, straight red dress, and was holding a small bunch of grapes. She was looking rather sulky. She rolled her eyes when a familiar voice cried out:

"Slave-girl! Give those to me!"

Sadira's clone sighed loudly. "Coming, oh mighty Jafar."

"Now, later on, Jafar would have decided to enslave half of Agrabah. The Witch of the Sand was on the list." Deja said, obviously trying (and failing) to not sound disgusted.

The Sadira clone walked along for a bit, then lazily tossed the grapes, which disappeared a second after leaving her hand.

"And those just hit Jafar in the face." Deja said, wincing. The Sadira clone yelped as Jafar's magic knocked her flying.

"She all right?" Xerxes asked.

"Yeah, but she did often get punished for her attitude." Deja said.

"How sweet of you for caring!" Sadira cooed to Xerxes, stretching her finger up to tickle his stomach. Xerxes cringed away, sniggering.

"Aw, you're making him look almost cute!" Genie said, flying up next to the laughing Xerxes. "I didn't know eels were ticklish."

"He's not _cute._" Mozenrath muttered. Xerxes straightened up and closed his eyes.

"Not cute." He said.

Genie poofed back down next to Sadira. Sadira coughed, trying not to laugh. "Ok." She said.

"Ahem. Now, for these two, it's simple." Deja said, nodding at Genie and Carpet. "They'd be stuck inside the Cave of Wonders still."

"Boy." Genie shuddered. "I thought ten thousand years was bad. Imagine ten thousand... and THREE YEARS!" He finished dramatically. Carpet nodded.

Aladdin was about to step off, when he paused and looked at Xerxes. A small grey frog appeared, completely throwing off everyone except Mozenrath and Xerxes himself.

"Well, he _was_ a tadpole before." Mozenrath pointed out.

"Strange." Aladdin muttered, stepping off of the stone.

"Lord of the Black Sand?" Deja suggested.

"Yeah, yeah. Without me, the world would be a better place." Mozenrath grumbled, stepping onto the stone.

"Actually, things aren't too good." Deja said. "In fact, it's almost exactly the same as what it would have been like without Aladdin."

Mozenrath stared at Deja, puzzling it over. He swung his head to look at Aladdin. Nothing appeared... Aladdin wouldn't have lived had it not been for Mozenrath.

"How would he have died?" Mozenrath asked. He and Aladdin stared at each other, nervously.

"Well, the day you were taken by Destane-" Mozenrath flinched. "-your mother was pregnant with Aladdin. If you weren't there, Destane would have taken Aladdin."

Aladdin's eyes widened. "But she was pregnant! He couldn't have-!"

"Yes." Mozenrath lowered his head, but his eyes still on Aladdin. "Destane... he had this one spell, where he could take a baby from a womb and make it get older really quickly."

"Yes. Aladdin would have instantly been transported to the Land of the Black Sand and turned into a seven-year old." Deja said.

As Mozenrath continued to stare at Aladdin, a child version appeared before him. The young Aladdin had bruises all down his arms. Mozenrath shivered slightly.

"Destane would have named him "Altzenroth"," Deja continued.

"Oh very original." Iago commented. "Bet if he met Sadira she would have been called "Satzenrith" or something stupid like that."

Mozenrath suddenly felt sick at the thought of Destane if he had gotten his hands on a young girl like Sadira.

"But would have destroyed him after a couple of years, due to his lack of magical talent. Cassim and his wife would have simply believed that Aladdin had been a miscarrige, and gotten on with their lives, until Jafar became in power, where they would have been enslaved too." Deja finished.

"I may as well get down then." Mozenrath muttered, and slid off of the rock.

Deja looked at Cassim. "Yours is simple too." Deja said, eyes twinkling. "If you didn't exist, neither would your sons." Cassim blinked. Aladdin smiled at him. "Now," Deja proceeded. "Abu: without you, Aladdin would have been caught by the guards years ago."

"Well..." Abu squeaked, looking at his fingernails proudly. Aladdin laughed.

"But Jafar would have still freed Aladdin from the dungeon and taken him to the Cove of Wonders. And... if Abu hadn't been there during that ordeal in the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin would have been killed by Jafar whilst trying to leave." Deja said. "Same thing if Carpet didn't exist: Aladdin wouldn't have made it out of the Cave alive."

"Hey, thanks Abu." Aladdin scooped up Abu playfully and patted Carpet, trying not think too deeply about his possible death.

"And that would have obviously not helped the rest of you- though Iago, Mozenrath and Xerxes would have coped pretty well. Cassim- I'm afraid that one of the forty theives would have formed a muntiny against you, which you wouldn't have survived." Deja said. "Now, Iago."

"No! I don't wanna hear." Iago clamped his feathers over his head.

Deja leaned down. "It's _good!_ If you weren't born, Jafar would have gotten himself a different familiar. And let's just say, he was more brutal than you. He persuaded Jafar to just kill anyone who was in the way."

"Brutal? Aw, now I'm hurt." Iago folded his wings and turned away.

"Now Xerxes." Deja said, raising his head to look at the floating eel. "You are very significant."

"Huh?" Xerxes (and most of the others- minus Sadira, Carpet, Cassim and Mozenrath) said.

"Well, without you, Mozenrath wouldn't have had the strength to kick aside that machine in Destane's lab, meaning Destane would have become more powerful, leading him to turn the entire population of the Seven Deserts into mamluks with one sweep of his hand.

"Wow." Mozenrath muttered, stroking Xerxes's chin.

"Now, Jasmine is interesting, as without her, _none_ of you would be here." Deja said. "Right from the age of four, she would stop the palace guards and ask them to let her out into the city. They would always say no, as the Sultan had forbidden her to leave the palace. This five-minue delay saved Aladdin, Abu and Sadira on countless occasions."

"Hey, thanks princess." Sadira commented.

"You're very welcome." Jasmine replied.

"And Destane was often on the prowl for more apprentices. He would check the dungeon regularly for younger kids. If Aladdin and Sadira were in there, that would have been it. Aladdin wouldn't have lasted long at all due to his lack of magical powers, whereas Sadira would have been all right, _if _she hadn't acted so stroppy and independant around Destane. He would have killed her in a fit of rage, and Mozen would have died trying to save her. I think the others can guess what their situation would be."

Mozenrath and Sadira looked at each other for a moment, before Mozenrath turned to stare at a small stone on the ground. Sadira smiled slightly, biting her lip. _Mozenrath would have died trying to SAVE her... that had to be something, right? If that could have happened then, could it happen now?"_

Sadira then stiffened suddenly. "What about me?"

Deja looked at her. "Well, nothing really changes-" Sadira looked crestfallen. Was she _that_ insignificant? "-until today."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, if you hadn't have been here, today when your friends tried to enter the Cave of Trials, the cave's tenth entry would have been for a Water Elemental."

"Whoa." Genie slapped himself in the face. "Right after we escaped from Saleen."

"Saleen would have been oddly eager to help. At the first opportunity, Saleen would have escaped the caves, along with Aladdin and Mozenrath." Deja pulled a face that was quite funny to see on a unicorn.

"What?" Mozenrath said in disgust. "Why me?"

"For one thing, you and Aladdin still had linked spirits. And she found you..." Deja flicked his donkey-like tail with a swish. "Interesting." Mozenrath grimaced slightly. "Moving on..." Deja tilted his head toward a seemingly solid cave- wall, which disappeared.

The group started to make their way through, when Deja called out, "Mozenrath, Jasmine, I need to speak to you."

Jasmine glanced back at Aladdin and gave him a weak smile before walking towards Deja. Mozenrath stared stonily at the ground as he walked over to Deja.

"Move along." Deja called to the others, who were still in the doorway.

"What about them?" Aladdin replied, concerned.

"They'll catch you up in a second. I just need to talk to them."

The group began walking. Aladdin relectantly walked away, still looking back at Jasmine. Eventually, he disappeared around a corner.

"Okay..." Deja said. "Sorry about this." He swung his head. Jasmine and Mozenrath staggered back. Two _exact _copies of the two stood before had a small blue bead hanging from her necklace as well as the large green jewel.

"What?" Jasmine said in horror. Mozenrath slowly looked at the hole the others had just walked through. The copies were standing in the way.

Deja swung his horn again, then Jasmine and Mozenrath found themselves being sucked backwards.

"Hey!" Mozenrath yelled.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried.

* * *

"Jasmine?" Aladdin swung around and began sprinting back around the corner. He skidded to a hault after almost running into 'Jasmine' and 'Mozenrath'. "Are you okay?" He asked nervously.

"Yes, silly, we were just yelling because we were trying to catch up." Jasmine laughed. Aladdin blinked.

"Move." Mozenrath said, shoving Aladdin into the cave wall and stalking around the corner. Aladdin winced and rubbed the back of his head before turning back to Jasmine, who was still smiling at him.

"Come on, let's go." She said.

* * *

_Sorry if the ending sounds rushed :S ~GingerBizkits_


	20. Chapter 20 Forgive, Never Forget

Forgive, never forget

"No! He _couldn't_ have fallen for that... could he?" The real Jasmine stared at the pool of water that was being held in a levitating stone bowl before her, showing her what was going on in the other cave. She was kneeling on the hard, stone ground in the centre of a cave, which had no way in or out.

"I don't think so- he did look a bit doubtful." Mozenrath was staring over his shoulder at the bowl too. He was at the edge of the cave, his hands searching the wall for a possible way out.

"No!" Jasmine moaned. "She's got _her hand on his chest! _He _can't believe_ that's me! He'd _know!"_

"Maybe he thinks you're just in a good mood." Mozenrath blasted at a wall, then ducked when a rock flew off it in his direction. He stood up as the rock smashed upon impacting the floor. He looked furious when he realized that the wall was still intact. His gauntlet lit up, and let out a stream of magic which tore destructively across the cave walls before fading out.

Jasmine- who had ducked to avoid falling stones, stood up and shook pebbles out of her hair. "Was that necessary?"

"Just trying to get us out of here, stop complaining." Mozenrath muttered. His tone of voice changed slightly, to a simpering tone, openly mocking Jasmine's feminine side. "You can fix you hair back at your palace."

Jasmine glared at him.

"If looks _could _bruise." Mozenrath muttered quietly. He then remembered when he had previously said that to Jasmine. She resolved it by kicking him in the face. Lighting up his gauntlet, he tried to melt his way through the wall. "What is my copy doing?" He called.

"Talking to Xerxes." Jasmine replied curtly.

Mozenrath let out a small gasp as his gauntlet stung him. "Oh really? What's he saying."

"I'm not sure- I think Xerxes is trying to ask if you're okay."

"What do you mean you think? What is Xerxes saying?"

"Something like: 'Master okay?'"

"So you do know. How could you not know what Xerxes meant?" Mozenrath said, anger beginning to lace the edge of his voice.

"It's hard to tell sometimes- his grammar really is terrible." Jasmine sighed.

With a growl, Mozenrath yanked his hand out of the wall, which sealed up instantly. He turned and walked over to Jasmine. "Spare the attempts at humour." Mozenrath said without looking at her. He peered into the bowl.

"If I wasn't fine I'd tell you. Get out of my way!" The fake Mozenrath shoved Xerxes into a nearby wall.

Jasmine tried to read the real Mozenrath's expression. She jumped when he spoke. "Only _I'm _allowed to shove Xerxes into walls."

"Now who's trying to be humorous?" She asked. He pointedly ignored her.

The image rippled back to Jasmine's replacement, who was making herself very comfortable on Aladdin's arm.

The true Jasmine snarled to herself, causing Mozenrath to snigger slightly. _"What?" _She hissed,

"You're jealous of yourself? Would people not call that vain?" Mozenrath replied. Jasmine gave him the look of death. Mozenrath laughed and looked into the water. "Relax. Aladdin's going to crack in a second."

"How can you tell?" Jasmine gave Mozenrath a sideways glance and raised her eyebrows suspiciously.

"Just look at his face." Mozenrath replied. "I don't think a mamluk on horseback could look so awkward."

Jasmine peered at her husband's face.

* * *

"Aladdin..." The Jasmine clone purred. Aladdin swallowed, and by doing so, stretched up his neck a little further away from 'Jasmine'. He was holding his shoulder up slightly to shield his face. Jasmine snuggled close to him. "Love you." She said, closing her eyes.

Aladdin frowned slightly. There was an obvious difference between 'Love you' and '_I _love you'. He looked thoughtful for a second.

"So," He said, smiling. "Why did you decide to where that purple dress, and not the... o-orange, one I suggested?"

"Aladdin, I am not a doll for you to dress up." Jasmine said playfully, tugging on his arm as she pirouetted on the spot before going back to resting her head on his shoulder.

Aladdin forced out a weak laugh whilst the colour drained from his face.

* * *

The real Jasmine, who had her hands placed on her face on horror, lowered them in relief and let out her breath happily.

"What?" Mozenrath said irritably, annoyed about not knowing the big revelation.

"He knows that isn't me." Jasmine explained.

"How? Do you not like orange or something?"

"No- well, yes, that too, but he _didn't _suggest any clothes, he was downstairs, I don't _own _anything orange, and obviously, my clone didn't correct him."

"So he knows it's an imposter." Mozenrath finished. "Very clever. For a stree-"

"_Don't _call him that." Jasmine hissed. Mozenrath held up a hand lazily to ward her off. "I _hate _people calling him that."

"Fine. _Street rat." _Mozenrath said under his breath. He held up his arm to block the blow across the head Jasmine tried to give him.

"How _dare _you!" She growled in her best furious-princess voice.

"Uh-oh." Mozenrath said, freezing to stare at the water. Jasmine stiffened too, and lowered her fist. She let out a furious snarl.

* * *

'Jasmine' snuggled against Aladdin who cringed back slightly. Genie had started to notice Aladdin's face expression.

"Al? Are you okay?" Genie asked, hovering over Aladdin.

"Aladdin?" 'Jasmine' wrenched herself from Aladdin's arm (to his relief). "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need-" Aladdin started, hands raised, but 'Jasmine' leapt forward.

"Good." She said, and began planting violent kisses on his lips. (The real Jasmine mad a snarling noise that was so threatening Mozenrath looked taken aback).

Aladdin turned his head to the side, but 'Jasmine' just slid her lips down his neck. Aladdin put his hands on her shoulders and firmly pushed her back.

"Er... Jasmine, I don't feel so good. Could you give me some space for a moment?" He said.

"Fine." She said furiously, and stormed away. The minute her back was turned, Aladdin furiously rubbed the back of his hand over the parts of his face that 'Jasmine' had kissed.

Genie and Cassim came over in horror. "Al, why'd you blow her off like that?" Genie said.

"That's _not _Jasmine!" Aladdin hissed. ("Yes!" the real Jasmine cheered)

"What makes you say that?" Cassim said.

"She just didn't _act _right! She... she said 'love you', and not '_I_ love you'-"

"There's a difference? Come on Al, you can't give her trouble for _that."_

"That's not all, Genie, when I asked her why she chose to wear that purple outfit, and not the _'orange one I suggested'_, she didn't correct me."

"I'm not following you, son." Cassim said, scratching his head.

"But you _didn't _suggest clothes for her- she was upstairs, whilst we were waiting downstairs!" Genie realized.

"_And _her skin... it's so cold, it made me shiver." He rubbed at his arm, still cold from where she touched it.

"Cold, eh?" Genie mused. He held up an old-fasioned camera, and snapped a photograph of 'Jasmine's' back. "Hmm..." He held up a photograph to Aladdin.

"Hey, she didn't show up!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"This proves it." Genie said, triumphantly. "Jasmine is a _vampire!"_ He laughed dramatically.

"What?" Aladdin said, disbelievingly.

"Vampires: Cold, pale skinned, blood drinkers of the night!" Genie said.

"I _know_ what a vampire is Genie, I just don't think Jasmine is one. I think she got replaced."

"By what?" Cassim whispered, so he wouldn't be overheard.

"She's a _vampire!"_ Genie whispered dramatically. With a _poof_ he suddenly was wearing a pair of blue jeans, trainers, a light blue coat and had long, brown hair- an impersonation many would recognize as that of Twilight's Bella Swan. He/she sidled up to Jasmine. "I not what you are. You're skin is pale white and-" He stopped, and _poof-ed_ back to normal. "Actually, you aren't that pale at all." He shot back to Aladdin and Cassim. "You're right, she's no vampire. Stupid fan-girlishness... rots your brain you know."

* * *

"Ugh, that Genie needs to get a clue." Mozenrath muttered.

"Leave him alone. They'll figure it out. At least they know now that I'm not there." Jasmine said, her relief obvious.

"Oh, and what of me?" Mozenrath grumbled.

"They'll see the connection." Jasmine said, defiantly. "Once Aladdin notices the necklace and the small blue bead that is hanging from the emerald, I think I'm out of here. Then, I'll tell him that you're here-"

"Sure you will. Hasn't it occurred to you that as _I'm_ the one with the stupid cat-eyes Aladdin is in the clear? _I'm _the one under Destane's power. Aladdin is safe. You could all go home, safe and sound." He said bitterly.

"Mozenrath: even if I could even _begin _to consider leaving you here alone to face Destane," She shivered, "You know Aladdin would _never_ agree. He's too pure of heart." She smiled. _That's why I love him._ She added in her mind.

"I suppose. What about that?" He pointed rudely to Jasmine's pregnant stomach.

"The _that_ you're referring to, is your niece or nephew, or did that skip your mind?" Jasmine smiled. Mozenrath froze. "Obviously not." Jasmine laughed.

"You know, you're in a much nicer mood when your optimistic." Mozenrath said, almost smiling.

A loud rumble broke the mutual atmosphere. "What's that?" Jasmine asked, nervously.

Mozenrath stood up. "Get away from me! _Now!"_

"What?" Jasmine staggered back.

"Destane..." Mozenrath stared at Jasmine, eyes widened slightly. Jasmine ran forward.

"What's he doing?"

"Get- _back!"_ Mozenrath spluttered. "He's- t-trying to... _possess _me." He gasped, and dropped to his knees. Jasmine took a nervous step forward. "I said _stay back! _If he..." Mozenrath jerked upright suddenly. His eyes glowed green. In the fraction of a second, Mozenrath's curled hair became lank, his usually full lips became a tight line, and his face became skeletal.

"Hello, Princess." Destane hissed. Jasmine staggered back, then turned and began beating her fists upon the cave walls.

"_Aladdin! Help me!" _She screamed. Nobody heard her.

Destane grabbed her upper arms. "Hold _still."_

Suddenly, Jasmine was shoved forward. She swung around to see Mozenrath's eyes staring at her in fear. "Get away from me!" He rasped. "Before-" His brown eyes suddenly lit up green again, and he ran towards her.

Jasmine turned and fled. She seized a rock and held it at head height, ready to defend herself.

"Now now." Destane smiled. "You wouldn't hurt your _brother-in-law,_ would you?" Destane abandoned Mozenrath's body for a moment, causing the weakened Mozenrath to collapse at Jasmine's feet. He looked truly helpless.

Jasmine lowered the rock slowly.

"No! That's what he wants!" Mozenrath protested. "Don't you see? He can't do anything if I'm dead... or at least unconscious." He staggered into a kneeling position, holding his head up, eyes closed.

Jasmine bit her lip, and slowly raised the rock. She shut her eyes, and was about to bring it down, when two strong hands snatched the rock from her hands, seized her wrists and pinned her against the wall.

"Too slow." Destane laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile, up at the front of the group, Sadira was walking along quietly when 'Mozenrath' appeared out of the shadows beside her.

"Oh!" Sadira jumped. "Hi Mozenrath." He glared at her out of the corner of his eye. "What?" She said indignantly.

"Oh nothing. Just waiting for you to put a spell on me. Witch." 'Mozenrath' replied.

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Oh _I _don't know, maybe because you've replaced your previous attraction with his older sibling?" He replied sarcastically.

Sadira stiffened. "W-what?"

"Tell me, why did you like Aladdin in the first place?" 'Mozenrath' sneered.

Sadira hesitated. "I- well, he saved me. He was the first person who was ever nice to me."

"Oh terrific." 'Mozenrath' groaned. "And I saved you earlier. Great." He put his back to her. "Glad to see your taste has improved from street-rat, but I think now you're just reaching out of your league."

"In fact," 'Jasmine' suddenly appeared behind Sadira and strode past her. "Retreat a little. You can have Aladdin. After all, Mozenrath and I are both forms of royalty." Aladdin rounded the corner just in time to hear his 'wife's next few words. "You and are Aladdin are just _street-rats."_

Sadira spun around on the spot in tears and tried to run away, but ended up running into Aladdin. She looked up at him through her tears.

"Something's _wrong_ with those two." She whispered, as 'Mozenrath' and 'Jasmine' walked away.

"Of _course!_" Aladdin exclaimed. "Deja pulled them back, and he must've done something to them!" Aladdin raced forward and stopped in front of the two copies. "_Where's Mozenrath and Jasmine?" _He said threateningly.

'Jasmine' laughed. "Of course!" She laughed. "If he's been replaced, he instantly assumes something has happened to me, and not that I've grown tired of him!"

"Arrogant street-rat!" 'Mozenrath' laughed.

Aladdin's eyes focused on Jasmine's necklace, or more importantly, the small blue bead that was now hanging from the large green jewel. He grabbed the blue bead between his finger and thumb and pulled.

There was a blue flash, and the fake Jasmine disappeared. Another blue flash appeared, and the real Jasmine toppled to the floor.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin immediately recognized his wife and pulled her into his arms. He noticed red, hand-shaped marks around her wrists. "Who did this to you?"

"Mozenrath, but-"

"_What?" _Aladdin said furiously.

"_Listen! _Destane came back and possessed him! Mozenrath tried to tell me to run before Destane got to him, but I didn't listen- Destane got him, and forced Mozenrath to attack me, and then- I appeared here. You _have _to help him!"

Aladdin swung his head to look at the fake Mozenrath, who lit his gauntlet threateningly. Aladdin spotted a blue ring around his middle left finger. Aladdin tackled 'Mozenrath' and tried to wrestle the ring off of him. "_Give me the ring!" _Aladdin yelled.

'Mozenrath' blasted Aladdin backwards. Aladdin immediately stood up again, and attacked. Aladdin pinned down the gauntlet arm, but couldn't even try to wrench the ring off the other hand. Abu crept up and yanked it off.

There was an instant flash, and a still-possessed Mozenrath appeared in the room. Destane laughed, and sent out a stream of magic from the gauntlet, but it stopped short.

Mozenrath had managed to gain control for a second, and he wrenched off the gauntlet, and tossed it to the floor. "Destane, I am useless to you now. Maybe you should leave- you're just wasting your strength."

Mozenrath's form shook for a moment, and his eyes went back to green. "Not quite." Destane hissed, and lunged forward, knocking Aladdin over, and seizing his wrist.

_"No!"_ Mozenrath yelped before the flash appeared.

When the light cleared, Mozenrath was staggering away from Aladdin, whose eyes were now glowing green.

"Destane, leave him alone!" Mozenrath yelled, snatching his gauntlet off of the floor and pulling it onto his wrist. He sent out a blast of blue magic, which hit Aladdin's chest, forcing Destane to abandon Aladdin's body.

Aladdin weakly stumbled backwards until he found his footing.

"Are you okay?" Mozenrath asked.

"Not something I'd ever have expected to hear from you." Aladdin muttered, smiling slightly.

"Fine. Are you able to walk street-rat, or does the Genie have to carry you?" Mozenrath corrected himself snidely.

"I'm good." Aladdin took a step forward. "So- can Destane possess me again?" He began shuddering involuntarily.

"No, but he _could _be able to turn you into his familiar when he's recovered." Mozenrath said, also looking like he wanted to shudder.

"Then we're wasting time." Cassim stepped forward, and began to lead the way.

"As I only just found out he was my father today, does he still get to boss my around?" Mozenrath murmured.

"Hey, I'd only known him less than a day and he told me off for riding on Carpet." Aladdin replied.

"Oh, the joy." Mozenrath groaned, and began walking.

Jasmine and Sadira quietly giggled to themselves over 'brotherly-affections'.


	21. Chapter 21 Greater Lives

Greater Lives

As the group walked along, Deja soon appeared and walked beside them, not saying anything. Eventually, Jasmine politely asked him what he was doing.

"I believe that the Genie of the Lamp wishes to ask me something?" Deja looked pointedly at Genie.

"Oh, ha, well- back there, when you were showing us what could have been if some of us hadn't existed, you never actually showed _mine._" Genie said, embarrassed.

Deja paused for a moment. "That is due to the fact genie_s _are difficult to find the origins of. Does that make sense? It's because you could never _not_ be be born... or made."

"Ah."

"Who _CARES _ABOUT _YOUR_ POSSIBLE OTHER LIFE! DIDN'T YA SEE _MINE?" _Iago howled furiously. "I COULDA HAD EVERYTHING I ALWAYS WANTED! Grapes, gold, caviare, manicures _and..._ a reclining chair that _VIBRATES!"_

"What _is_ the obsession with the vibrating chair, Iago?" Aladdin laughed. Iago flew in front of him, flapping his wings furiously in Aladdin's face.

"It's easy for _you!_ You've been a street-rat all your life! You've never _HAD _ANY OF THESE PRIVILEGES! _I _HAD MY PRIVILEGES _ROBBED _OF ME WHEN I WAS FORCED TO LIVE WITH YOU AND THE MONKEY IN THAT _SMELLY, COLD HOVEL!"_

Aladdin looked a little taken aback when the bellowing parrot was suddenly snatched from his face by a long blue arm. Aladdin turned to see a blue version of what he wouldn't recognize as the other-mother from _Coraline._

_"Button it." _She said, and suddenly Iago's eyes became black buttons and his beak was stitched shut with thick thread. "I think Coraline likes you more when you _don't _talk. I do at least." Iago made a muffled screaming noise.

_"Genie!"_ Jasmine said fiercely, snatching Iago from the Other-mother's thin fingers. Genie turned back to normal with a _poof_! "Just for that," Jasmine said, "When we get back home Genie will give you the chair you want, right Genie?"

Genie was staring at Deja, _apparently_ not hearing what Jasmine had just said. "Hey Deja buddy, what's the next trial?" He said innocently.

"I can't tell you. You have to be on your guard though."

"Great. You know, I've never liked surprises." Iago grumbled, hiding under Jasmine's hair.

"By the way, _Deja,_" Jasmine said, sounding annoyed. "What was the point of the last trial?"

Mozenrath stopped and spun around, ready to listen. He suddenly realized how intent he looked, so he leant against the cave wall, arms folded, one foot crossed over the other- a position Sadira considered to be very flattering for him (Sadira became afraid that her heartbeat was loud enough for everyone else to hear).

Everyone else turned around to look at Deja intently, whereas Aladdin simply glanced over his shoulder, tense.

"You need to be _united_ to make it through the caves. That trial tested how well you know one another." Deja said.

"Of course Aladdin was instantly suspicious when his wife's double acted oddly." Mozenrath said.

"She acted more like _Saleen _than Jasmine." Aladdin muttered.

"Too full on for you, huh street-rat?" Mozenrath said, eyebrows raised. Aladdin's nose wrinkled in disgust. A wicked smile appeared on Mozenrath's lips. "Deja- just out of interest, what were the fake-princess and I constructed from?" Mozenrath said, looking at Aladdin's suddenly frozen expression.

Deja trotted past them quite speedily. "From the fungi that grows on the cave walls." Before disappearing into the shadows.

Mozenrath doubled over laughing, Jasmine looked ill and Genie and Cassim both groaned and winced as Aladdin placed one hand on the cave's walls for support and the over his mouth, shoulders and stomach heaving slightly.

"Aladdin?" Jasmine said, wincing slightly, unsure what to say. Aladdin held up one finger.

"Wait a minute please." He said weakly. He straightened up, pale, and began running the back of his hand once more over the spots 'Jasmine' hands and lips had touched. He swallowed. "D-deja?" He said faintly. No response.

"Deja!" He called again, with more strength.

Deja stuck his head almost meekly around the corner. Aladdin opened his mouth, intending to ask if it was necessary for 'Jasmine' to have kissed him the way she did, but found he could only splutter:

_"Fungi?"_

"Sorry." Deja said before disappearing.

"Coward." Mozenrath muttered. His lip twitched again when he looked at Aladdin's disturbed facial expression.

"Don't laugh you _beast._" Jasmine said, menacingly. Mozenrath turned his head to the side and covered his mouth with his knuckles.

_"Ssomething amusse you?" _Destane's voice made everyone's skin freeze over (except Genie, who literally froze into an ice statue).

"What do you want?" Mozenrath asked, voice hollow, all humour gone from his face.

_"You know that better than anyone." _Destane said, and a green stream of light began heading towards Aladdin. Mozenrath shot forward, and seized Aladdin's wrist.

"Leave him alone Destane. Your battle is with me." Mozenrath said, threateningly. He stared at Aladdin. "Why haven't we changed? _Why is nothing happening?"_

"I don't know!" Aladdin said, feeling nervous when he saw the panic in Mozenrath's face.

_"I have disss-abled your connection. Temporarily." _Destane cackled.

"Stay away from him, Destane." Mozenrath snarled. "It's me you want."

_"True. But I have noticced one thing: throughout your childhood, there were sssome thingsss you would refusse to do, no matter what I did- until I mentttioned you brother. You would do ANYTHING I told you to if I threatened to hurt him,"_

Mozenrath stiffened. Aladdin called up: "But Destane: you stole Mozenrath's memory. He doesn't still feel that way about me. He _hates _me."

_"True- but just KNOWING that I could make you or anyone else suffer the way he had... makes Mozenrath here a useful blackmailing tool."_

"What do you want?" Mozenrath said, defeated. Aladdin stared at him in horror. Destane paused, then smirked.

_"To see you suffer."_ Destane said, evilly. Mozenrath swung around to face Aladdin.

"Nothing hap- _ah!" _Aladdin began, then yelped. He held up his hands, which had a stream of green magic swirling around them. They were slowly becoming grotesque: the fingers were bending and the tips were becoming claws. Fur began growing on them too. There was an audible clicking noise where the bones were repositioning themselves into the form of lion-like paws.

Aladdin dropped to his knees and bent over his hands/paws, which were against his chest as he tried to hide them. The green mist swirled around Aladdin, threatening to conceal him.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried, trying to reach her husband.

"I'm- ugh- _fine_, Jasmine. J-just stay back." Aladdin's voice kept breaking every time he yelped.

_"Lissten, Mozenrath." _Destane's voice filled the air, cutting through Aladdin's pain like scissors through silk.

Through the gaps in the mist, everyone could see Aladdin's hands/paws pressed over his mouth, trying to muffle the sounds coming out. His eyes were tightly closed and his muscles tensed.

"Destane, _Stop!" _Mozenrath finally yelled, defeated. Destane smirked, and the mist cleared. Aladdin lurched forward onto his hands and knees, though his hands were replaced by brown lion paws.

_"Good." _Destane said triumphantly. _"Get down on your kneesss, Mozenrath." _Mozenrath stood rigid, fists clenched at his sides, eyes staring forward. _"Fine." _Destane said, manically. _"Be that way. The deal'ss off."_

Aladdin unsuccessfully tried to muffle another gasp. Mozenrath spun around to see fur slowly spreading up Aladdin's arms, turning them into a lion's front legs.

Mozenrath dropped numbly to his knees, but other than that his position didn't change at all- his arms were still rigid at his sides, teeth still clenched. "Destane." He said in a voice that sounded different to his own.

_"Didn't you hear me? Deal's off." _Destane said, laughter seeping through the air like poison being soaked up into white bread.

"What?" Mozenrath said in horror, looking Aladdin. Aladdin raised his head slowly to look at Mozenrath, eyes wide. Aladdin then screwed up his eyes as his spine began clicking. Eventually, the pain was too much and Aladdin screamed out.

_"Get up, boy." _Destane snarled. _"Get of the floor. It's sso undignified."_

_"I will not take orders from you."_ Aladdin growled, breathing hard. His head was then thrown back and his back arched as Destane punished him, his body changing into a lion's from the centre point of his back. The last thing to change was his head, though Aladdin tried to not let it happen. He stretched his head desperately away as the mane began appearing on his neck, but he couldn't. His face shot into the form of a lion's, with the two tiny horns over each eye, pointed ears appeared through his mane and the leopard spots stood out on his short fur.

_"Much better." _Destane laughed.

"Touch him again, and I'll make you wish you were a mamluk again." Mozenrath snarled.

_"Like thiss?"_ Destane hissed, a green flame disappearing inside Aladdin's mouth. Aladdin staggered frantically backwards and began pawing at his throat.

"Destane what are you doing!" Mozenrath yelled. Aladdin's neck glowed green, and his head tilted back, eyes closed with pain.

"Someone-! Help me-" Aladdin's voice grew faintly quieter, and he suddenly gasped. Everyone else knew if Destane wasn't interfering with Aladdin's voice, Aladdin would be screaming in pain. Aladdin's gasp cut off, and he growled instead. Everyone backed away.

Aladdin looked puzzled. He opened his mouth and snarled. He looked frantically at Mozenrath and roared. "He took your _voice?"_ Mozenrath said in horrified amazement.

Aladdin nodded, and made a sad noise. _Similar to Rajah. _Jasmine thought. She shook the image away immediately- Aladdin was her _husband, _not her pet.

"Aladdin?" Jasmine said sadly, kneeling down beside him. He rumbled sadly, staring at the floor.

"Hey!" Genie said. A speaker appeared on his chest with a microphone attached to his smoke-tail. He held it out to Aladdin. "Say_ anything!_"

Aladdin made a growling noise. Genie fiddled with some buttons on the speaker and then Aladdin's voice sounded out of it.

"Anything?" The speaker recited in a grainy version of Aladdin's puzzled voice.

Aladdin made a series of growling noises which Genie immediately translated: "Are you gonna carry that around _just_ to understand what I'm saying?"

"Well, no." Genie said. "Only if it's really important. Now you'll just have to do what Abu and Carpet do whenever they have something to say. I understand you- mostly."

Aladdin half-smiled, until Destane spoke again- _"Should I borrow this voice?" _Then, Destane made Aladdin's laughter echo through the caves.

Mozenrath silently, furiously, blasted power from his hand in the direction of the laughter. There was a small green flash as it hit Destane's spirit. "That should deter him for a while." Mozenrath said.

"We should move then." Sadira said. She walked ahead, and her hand accidentally brushed against Mozenrath's hand. The both glanced at their hands. Sadira blushed and began walking faster.

Mozenrath started walking after her, until Xerxes popped up in his face. "I smell something!"

"Like _what?"_ Mozenrath said, irritably.

"Not sure. But dangerous."

"Be on your guard!" Mozenrath called to the others as they began walking ahead.

* * *

_They walked through the caves cautiously, as water ran down the sides and dripped eerily into small puddles. Their breath came out as mist, and they shivered slightly. Except Aladdin, who was perfectly warm. After a while, the ground they walked on began echoing as they walked across it._

Aladdin paused and sniffed the ground. _"Mro-ow!"_ He growled, in an alarmed way and began pushing everyone against the wet cave walls.

"Ow!" Mozenrath growled. "What are you doing?" Aladdin, now pressed against the wall also, made some noises.

"The ground's hollow?" Iago asked, flying onto Aladdin's back. Aladdin nodded.

"It seems fine to me," Genie commented. "We _have_ been walking on it for a while."

Aladdin shook his head and walked a few steps ahead. Everyone stared at him, puzzled. "You were saying?" Mozenrath asked, stepping away from the wall. Aladdin shook his head frantically, and leapt forward.

This was a mistake. The ground where Aladdin's paws slammed onto broke immediately. Aladdin slid head first into the now gaping hole.

_"Al!" _Genie yelled, turning into a classic alien spaceship. He hovered over the hole, and a classic, green tractor beam shot down the hole. A few seconds later, Aladdin rose out of the hole, Iago still clinging grimly to his mane.

"Al's right." Genie said. He morphed into a floating Indiana Jones, and used his whip to hold Aladdin up. _"We walk from here."_

Carpet offered Cassim, Jasmine, Sadira and Abu a lift. Mozenrath was already levitating himself at this point, Xerxes flying over his shoulder. Everyone looked at Aladdin. He wasn't going to fit onto Carpet.

"Al, I'll-" Genie began, but Aladdin wriggled out of the whip and began running along the cave floor, which was breaking underneath him. _"AL!"_ Genie yelled. Everyone shot after him.

Aladdin bounded forward, and his eyes widened in horror when he saw a large hole up ahead- if he stopped, the rock would crumble beneath his feet and he would fall. If he kept going, he'd fall in.

Aladdin put on a burst of speed. He leapt over the gap, and tumbled over on the rock on the other side.

"Aladdin! What were you _doing?" _Jasmine cried, once she and the others got over the other side too. She ran forward and hugged Aladdin.

Aladdin pulled back, head hanging. Jasmine glared at him, and dropped to her knees in front of him. "Aladdin-" She said softly. He quickly turned his head slightly. _"Aladdin!" _Jasmine firmly grabbed his chin and yanked his face back to hers. "I _know _you don't want me to see you like this, but I'm your _wife _and I love you!"

Aladdin nodded and sort of smiled. He used his right paw and rubbed the back of his neck, the way he often did when he was human. Jasmine hugged him. "See! It's the little things you do that'll always let me know it's you!" She kissed his nose.

Aladdin smiled at her again. Genie hovered over. "Al... why did you run away before?" Aladdin's grin vanished, and he abruptly started making growling noises.

"Al?" Genie asked, turning himself into that translating machine again. "What is it?" Aladdin growled again, and Genie played it back:

"I smelt something... I _know _I've seen whatever it was before, but I don't really know the smell..."

"You recognize the smell, but because you've never had senses this good before, you don't know what it is?" Mozenrath suggested. Aladdin nodded.

"Well? Any _ideas?"_ Iago yelled, flying over. "Can't your _nose," _Iago violently jabbed Aladdin's cat nose with one feather/finger, "distinguish between feathers, fur, scales? Obviously not, _useless- AH!" _Iago yelled and flapped away. (Aladdin had become tired of his yelling, and twitched his lip slightly, revealing pointed teeth).

Suddenly, Aladdin's ears twitched. He looked back over his shoulder and his eyes widened. Genie held out the translator.

"Genie! I know what it is! You have to run!"

"Aladdin? What is it?" Jasmine asked. Aladdin opened his mouth, when a horribly familiar howl echoed through the caves.

_"Ah!" _Genie cried, seizing Carpet and flattening themselves against the wall. "The thirdac!" He wailed.

"The _what?" _Jasmine asked. Aladdin made some snarling noises. Iago flew onto Jasmine's shoulders and put one wing on his beak thoughtfully.

"He says he told you what it was before." Iago said. "It's how Al and the whiz kid first met- or, er, when they actually could _remember _meeting each other afterwards."

"That's right!" Jasmine said. "And it ate magic!" She glanced at Genie and Carpet, huddled at the wall, then at Mozenrath, who was trying not to look concerned, but his eyes were too wide.

"Except this time, the thirdac has_ two more_ possible courses to choose from." Mozenrath said, arms folded.

Jasmine looked puzzled. "Who?" She looked at Sadira, nervously. Mozenrath nodded. "And?"

"Aladdin." Mozenrath said, wincing.

_"What?" _Jasmine and Genie cried at the same time.

"He's under Destane's spell." Mozenrath said. "Therefore, magical."

"Oh no." Jasmine whimpered. She turned to Aladdin- who started backing away from something. He roared loudly, at the same time, a thirdac emerged from the shadows. It was a grey, funny-looking beast with one red eye and a blue, shell-like back. It walked on all fours. It opened its mouth and emitted that strange howl, waving it's tongue around, which was pink and tube-like, with slightly raised green lumps on it. Everyone- including the non-magical- backed off.

Whilst everyone was against one wall, the thirdac approached Aladdin, who was up against the opposite wall. It roared loudly. Aladdin glanced around quickly, trying to find an escape route. When nothing arouse, and with the thirdac drawing closer, Aladdin stood his ground and roared, advancing towards the thirdac slowly, hackles raised. The thirdac stuck it's eye out on a stalk- like a snail- and surveyed Aladdin cautiously.

Aladdin leapt at it, knocking it over onto its back. The thirdac kicked Aladdin backwards into a wall. Aladdin hit the wall, then flopped motionless to the floor.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried. The thirdac swung around and sniffed. It started to turn back to Aladdin, when Mozenrath sent a spark at it. The thirdic lapped it up greedily, then came towards Mozenrath. It shut its eye, then stuck out its tongue, sucking in- however, when it inhaled, it wasn't Mozenrath being pulled towards the thirdac.

It was Sadira.

Sadira yelped as she skidded across the floor. Her pink glamour that she had created was sucked up by the thirdac, leaving her usual street-mouse clothing.

A black swirl of Mozenrath's power circled Sadira's waist, yanking her to safety. She fell against Mozenrath, who caught her by her upper-arms. The thirdac opened its eye angrily, and Mozenrath shoved Sadira behind him. The thirdac approached, but was suddenly yanked back; Aladdin had seized its tail, and swung it into the wall, like it had done to him (_Irony! ~GingerBizkits),_ except the thirdac wasn't knocked unconscious. Aladdin pounced again, clawing at it. He whacked it in its eye, causing it to scuttle away.

Aladdin let out a frightening roar, letting it scurry away. He swung around to the others, who looked a bit scared. Aladdin breathed out, and flattened his ears against his head, sadly.

Jasmine was the first one to walk forward. "Aladdin? Are you all right?" She asked, scanning him for injuries. He shook his head, blinking. He rubbed a spot on his head with one paw.

"Where's the thir-...thing?" Sadira asked. Aladdin indicated with his tail.

"It ran around the corner." Iago translated. Aladdin roared into the darkness, then looked at Iago again. "And now it's run even further away."

"This is great!" Genie said, happily. "It's scared of your roar!"

"Or just him." Iago muttered, earning a whack from Abu.

"Deja!" Cassim called. Deja appeared. "What do we have to do?"

"Just make your way through the caves- the blade is close... but watch out for that thirdac." Deja glanced at Aladdin (whose lion-expression didn't look happy) and disappeared.

The group began to make their way through the cave, Aladdin roaring every few minutes to keep the thirdac away.

"New Lion-Roar Thirdac Repellent!" Genie turned into a typical over-enthusiastic salesman. "Not only does it keep away pesky thirdacs, but also were-jackals, the Al Muddi, rock efrets and shambling mamluks!"

Everyone turned to Genie on that last comment, then let their eyes slid over to Mozenrath, who had chosen to ignore that comment. Aladdin shattered the silence by roaring again.

Mozenrath was walking at the back of the group, and Sadira found herself slowing down to keep pace with him. She began to walk faster, embarrassed, but Mozenrath caught her arm.

"Where are you going?" He asked, pleasantly.

"Just... ahead." She replied vaguely, not looking at him.

"You're embarrassed by what the fake-me said." Mozenrath summarized.

"Because its true." Sadira said sadly, then she put her hand over her mouth, but she couldn't stop. "I got a crush on Aladdin after he saved me. And now _you've _saved me..." She tailed off, blushing sadly. "I'm shallow."

"Correction." Mozenrath pulled her to a halt. "You... _egh_, got a crush on _him_" He indicated to Aladdin, "because he was the first person who was nice to you. As for me... your taste has greatly improved. And... I don't normally save people, but some lives are greater than your own." He bowed to her. "I apologize on the fake me's behalf."

"Apology accepted." Sadira managed to say.

Mozenrath straightened up. "Good." He looked out of the corner of his eye at the others. "Hurry up." He muttered under his breath. As soon as they were gone, he looked back to Sadira. "Oh, good. They're finally gone." He looked back at Sadira, smiling. His gauntlet glowed.

Sadira looked at it, slightly nervous. A ribbon of black fire entwined itself around her, starting at her back and finishing on her shoulder. She was yanked forward, so she was almost against Mozenrath. She looked fearfully up at him.

The fire disappeared, and Mozenrath's left hand was placed on her back, and his right was on the back of her head. Sadira's eyes widened as Mozenrath placed his soft lips against hers... like petals.

She slowly closed her eyes, her lashes gently brushing the side of his face. He pulled back after a second, keeping his left arm around Sadira's waist.

"Come on, we'd better catch up- they might think I've killed you." Mozenrath smiled. "Besides- my brother needs us." The ran around the corner.

"What about conserving energy and all that?" Sadira asked, noticing Mozenrath was running rather than levitating.

"Excellent point." Mozenrath grinned. As his left arm was still around Sadira's waist, he simply lit up his gauntlet, and carried them both around the corner.


	22. Chapter 22 Finally

Finally

Mozenrath and Sadira quickly caught up with the others, who hadn't noticed that they were even gone. "Shows how much we were missed." Mozenrath muttered.

Aladdin roared again, then paused. With a graceful shudder, he fell to the floor, and placed his paws over his ears.

"Aladdin?" Jasmine said, sounding fearful. Aladdin swung his head around looking for Mozenrath.

"Is it Destane?" Genie asked. Aladdin nodded frantically.

"He's talking to you, isn't he? In your head, so we can't hear." Aladdin nodded again, growling agitatedly. Mozenrath shot a spell at Aladdin's head. Instantly, the room was filled with Destane's voice.

_"Jusst get him! He'ss your ENEMY!"_ Destane said cruelly. Aladdin growled a response, which Mozenrath heard as clear as day:

"I will _not! I won't hurt him!"_

"Aladdin, don't listen to him!" Mozenrath shouted over the voice only he and Aladdin could hear.

"What's he saying?" Sadira and Jasmine asked.

_"You know he'sss your enemy!" _Destane snarled. _"what did you think would happen if you got to the blade and out of here? That he would drop his planss for world conquesst and not try to eliminate you? Of coursssse not! He could steal everything you have... the thingss you love the mossst."_

Aladdin gave Jasmine a fleeting glance- she and Sadira were beside each other- and then shut his eyes again as Destane sent waves of pain shattering through his skull.

"That's a lie and you know it!" Mozenrath shouted. He glanced at Jasmine too. "I don't love her, and I never will! She- and you have... you've kissed her! I would never be able to do that- not after knowing you've already kissed her first." He suddenly realized what he said and glanced at Sadira, and winked slightly before looking back at Aladdin.

Aladdin nodded slowly- but Destane took a new approach. _"Kill Mozenrath, or... I'll kill Jasmine."_

Aladdin and Mozenrath's eyes widened, and they looked at Jasmine, who looked pale. "I don't feel so good..." She whispered. Aladdin looked from her to Mozenrath, panicked. Jasmine then straightened up, looking normal.

_"On second thoughts... YOU don't have to devour Mozenrath." _Destane said quickly. In an instant, Aladdin's raging headache vanished. Aladdin roared questioningly.

"Where did he go?" Mozenrath looked around suspiciously, then froze, eyes on the ceiling. The thirdac stood on the ceiling, upside down. "Alas... everyone who doesn't want to be thirdac chow, _move!"_

The thirdac dropped, and landed on Carpet, who struggled to get out from under its paws. Aladdin ran and jumped at it to plow it aside, then yelped as a large spike emerged from each shoulder...

...right as he slammed into the thirdac.

Aladdin 'gasped' in horror when he saw the limp thirdac hanging next to his shoulder, impaled on the spike. Whenever Aladdin moved, the thirdac's limp feet dragged on the floor.

Mozenrath shut his eyes and blasted the thirdac with his gauntlet, leaving only a small heap of black ash on the floor. Aladdin looked in horror at the lethal spikes that protruded from each shoulder. Iago flew onto the one the thirdac hadn't touched.

"Hm..." He said, looking at it closely and thoughtfully. "I'll bet you can retract these." Aladdin frowned and squeezed his eyes shut. With a click, the spikes retracted into his shoulders. _"Ah!" _Iago squawked as the spikes vanished and he hit the floor.

Aladdin pulled the spikes in and out experimentally a few times before glancing at the others.

_"I jusst ssaved you from the thirdac. Are you not going to thhank me, boy?" _Destane made no effort to hide his voice from anyone now. Aladdin snarled and shook his head. _"Oh I ssee. You don't like killing."_

Aladdin roared and backed away. Destane's laughter slowly faded away, at the same time Deja appeared.

"The blade is only a little bit ahead." He said happily, before disappearing again. Jasmine, Cassim, Sadira and Abu hopped onto Carpet and whizzed around the corner, closely followed by the others.

The rushed around the corner, then halted.

The cave was large. Over the other side of the cave, up against the wall was the blade. It was very large, pointed, and slightly curved. It was shining black, resembling a large fossilized tooth.

The group slowly walked over to it. Mozenrath picked it up, and something strange happened. Coloured strings of light suddenly appeared, connecting him to various people. Two gold ones connected him to Aladdin and Cassim, a purple one to Jasmine, a blue on connected him to Xerxes and a pale pink one that connected him to Sadira (but nobody except Sadira and Mozenrath noticed that last one because Sadira scooted over to Mozenrath so that nobody could see it).

"What is _that?"_ Genie asked, looking in wonder at the lights.

Deja materialized (_in that way that he does when I'm running out of creative words to describe Deja's random appearences~ GingerBizkits_) and told them:

"Each strand represents the connection you have. See the gold ones? That means you're related. That blue one connects you to his familiar, that purple one is related by marriage, and-" Deja stopped when Mozenrath and Sadira shook their heads. "-other ones include pink for love or a crush, but not married, black for hate, green for a magical link, orange for friendship and red for completely in love with."

"So... we have to cut the blue one." Mozenrath summarized. He approached Aladdin, holding the blade up slightly. As he neared Aladdin, streams appeared, attaching Aladdin to almost everyone in the room.

A red bond connected him to Jasmine, orange ones to Genie, Sadira, Carpet, Abu and even Iago, two golden ones to Mozenrath and Cassim... Mozenrath had a green one too, due to their soul-link, then one blue one that disappeared into thin air, presumably were Destane's spirit was. Mozenrath raised the blade, ready to cut the blue string, when it suddenly moved.

"NO!" Mozenrath yelled. Destane circled around Jasmine, lifting her up. Mozenrath stared in horror at the link between Jasmine and Aladdin- which was now tangled with Destane's...

"I can't..." Mozenrath said in a panicked tone. "If I cut Destane's, I'll end up cutting Jasmine's too. What would that do?"

"It would remove any romantic feelings they have for one another. They would no longer love each other, or be married and the unborn children they have would be wiped from existence." Deja said, eyes wide.

Aladdin shook his head frantically at Mozenrath and slammed his paw down on the blade, pinning it to the floor.

"I wasn't going to!" Mozenrath said, looking at Jasmine. "Jasmine, I need you to hold still." He looked at Cassim. "Dad, hold this for a second." He tossed the blade to Cassim, who easily caught it. Mozenrath lit up his gauntlet, when Aladdin snarled. Mozenrath looked at him.

"Look, Aladdin, it _won't _hurt her." Mozenrath tried to sound reassuring. "Look, you _have _to trust me." Mozenrath looked deep into Aladdin's eyes. After a second, Aladdin nodded, but lay crouched, ready to spring if Mozenrath were to hurt Jasmine. "Your lack of trust should insult me..." Mozenrath lit his gauntlet, "... but now _really _isn't the right time."

Mozenrath sent a stream of magic which yanked Jasmine away from Destane, causing her to fall. Mozenrath quickly caught her and pushed her behind him.

Destane's green outline swooped down, trying to grab more of Aladdin's friends. Sadira ran backwards and pressed herself against the wall, totally hidden in the dark. Soon, Mozenrath had everyone behind him except Aladdin, who was in front of him, and Sadira, who was still hidden.

Destane simply laughed, then a green wave sent Mozenrath and the others he had pulled aside flying backwards. They all painfully hit the back wall, Deja suddenly vanished with a gasp after being hit with a green flame, and Aladdin roared as Destane took control. "He got Deja! Al, you're next! RUN!" Iago yelled.

"Aladdin?" Everyone gasped.

Aladdin opened his now glowing green eyes. "Aladdin is gone." Destane hissed happily.


	23. Chapter 23 Return from Death

Return from Death

"NO!" Mozenrath flattened himself against the wall."No no no no!"

"Yes." Destane stalked forward. "Yes, yes, yes, and yes." Destane threw back his head and laughed. As he did, a moving green wall of light appeared between him and the others. The room was light up bright green. Sadira gasped, catching Mozenrath's eye. He stared at her in horror; she was on the same side of the wall as Destane/Aladdin. The glowing green wall looked impenetrable. Genie gingerly stretched out one finger to prod it, and was catapulted backwards.

_"Yeaaaaooooooooowwww!"_ Genie yelled. Destane laughed again.

"I'm the only one who can get through that wall."

"Where's Aladdin?" Mozenrath said coldly, words coming out shakily.

"Oh, he's still here. After all, I need him to resurrect me- I can't go on sharing a body with him. He won't stop _fighting._It's very annoying."

"Annoying? I can't imagine why." Iago yelled. Destane swung his head to look at him, and Iago ducked behind Carpet.

Destane laughed, then raised his paw, and drew the outline of a circle in the air. A second later, a glowing green sphere appeared. Mozenrath gasped. Destane grinned, showing all his teeth.

"Yes Mozenrath. Once enough power is generated, my spirit can absorb the energy, and my body will re-generate."

"What about Aladdin?" Jasmine half-sobbed.

"He'll be my familiar for the rest of his life- carrying out _my _orders!" Destane laughed. Sadira intook a sharp breath. Destane turned to stare at her.

"Oh hello." Destane said in a 'pleasant' voice. He glanced to the green orb, then Mozenrath. "Whilst that's starting up, I'll just have a snack." He began stalking slowly towards Sadira.

"NO!" Yelled several people- including Aladdin, but Destane gave his head a shake, and continued walking towards Sadira.

"Aladdin's not completely gone- if he feels a strong emotion, he gains control!" Mozenrath realized. He thought for a second. "It's gotta work!" He said to himself. He suddenly reached out and seized Jasmine's arms.

"Hey-!" She yelped as he dragged her close to him.

"Jasmine- listen to me a second; what I'm about to do, will most likely make you despise me forever, but that's a simple sacrifice, and it will hopefully save Aladdin... but if it _doesn't _work out how I plan, would you still care for Aladdin? Even if he looked like me?" He looked deep into her eyes, looking nervous, but determined.

Jasmine swallowed and nodded, not a hundred percent certain what Mozenrath's plan was. Her nod seemed to make Mozenrath feel relived.

"After all," He said quickly, and more to himself, "if I got a tan and didn't wash for a month, we'd look _very _similar."

Jasmine looked a little indignant at that, but she gasped, looking past Mozenrath. Mozenrath swung around and saw Sadira- who had tried to build a wall of sand between her and Destane using her magic, but Destane had easily pawed it down- running for her life.

Mozenrath quickly shot chains at Genie, Cassim, Carpet, Abu, Iago and even Xerxes (who looked very hurt), who gave indignant cries.

Destane- who had just knocked Sadira to the floor and was pinning her down by pressing a paw against each arm- turned his head to see what all the commotion was about.

Mozenrath, realizing he had Destane's and thus, Aladdin's attention, pulled Jasmine's back against his chest, like he had done earlier that day, when he had stolen Aladdin's body for a brief time.

Sadira looked at Mozenrath, heartbroken. Her eyes flickered, trying to look at anything other than Mozenrath. She settled for the monster looming over her. She stiffened when she noticed his eyes, closed tightly and when they opened, they were no longer green, but reddish-brown.

Aladdin was back.

Jasmine seemed slightly alarmed, but she looked downright petrified when he whispered to her, in a voice that only she could hear, and- thanks to the large ears- Destane/Aladdin could hear:  
"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this, Princess."

Jasmine struggled violently, and Mozenrath swung her around, pinning her against a wall. He leaned in, slowly and deliberately, giving Jasmine enough time to cry out one _single _word:

_"Aladdin!"_

Mozenrath- who had his lips pressed against her forehead, grinned.

"This is going to hurt." He whispered. He suddenly disappeared as Aladdin plowed into him, knocking him to the floor. Aladdin stood over him, growling ferociously, mouth open to show all his teeth.

"_I've got you now_, Destane!" Mozenrath hissed triumphantly, as he grabbed Aladdin's right paw with both hands. Aladdin gave a start as they switched.

Aladdin- now dressed in Mozenrath's clothes- staggered backwards and fell over. Mozenrath- now looking like a tiger-striped white lion, turned and roared at Cassim.

Aladdin caught the meaning. "Dad! We need the blade!" He waved the gauntleted hand frantically, until Cassim's chains vanished. Cassim hurried forward and swung the blade down on the green stream of light that had just appeared.

Instead of cutting through it like everyone expected, the blade literally shattered Destane's link, and the room exploded in light. When the light cleared, Aladdin and Mozenrath stood beside each other.

"We're normal!" Aladdin concluded, staring at himself. "Though- I do think that vest suits me more than you."

"Point taken. It does smell." Mozenrath replied.

"So does yours. If I stay like this for another minute, I'll stink of mamluks forever."

They gripped each other's right wrists, until they were dressed in their normal attire. Aladdin looked around. "Jasmine?" He asked.

"Aladdin." She smiled, and ran towards him. They hugged peacefully, Aladdin resting his head on top of Jasmine's. He flinched slightly when the baby kicked against his stomach.

"Ow..." He laughed. "She kicks pretty hard."

"She?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

"Yup." Aladdin said. "She's definitely a girl."

"I actually think it'l be a boy." Jasmine smiled. Aladdin flinched again as the baby kicked harder.

"Oh," Jasmine backed up an inch and rubbed her stomach. "It's okay baby."

However, the baby kicked more and more frantically.

"Jasmine? What's wrong?" Aladdin said, sounding slightly panicked.

"The baby... he's really frightened." As Jasmine rubbed her stomach, Sadira let out a small scream which was cut off.

Everyone swung around to see a tall man, with yellowed skin and long, black hair. He wore a long, brown robe with a hood. His eyes glowed green. His hands were thin and bony.

He was holding Sadira by her neck, and had one hand over her mouth.

Without thinking, Mozenrath and Aladdin charged. Destane let go of Sadira, who ran to Jasmine. With a lazy flick of his hand, Destane shot Mozenrath to the floor. Aladdin swung his head to look at his fallen brother when Destane grabbed his shoulder.

Aladdin yelped and his back arched. His arms stretched desperately forwards as he vanished.

"NO!" Mozenrath yelled. He ran forward and head-butted Destane in the stomach. Destane collapsed. "Bring him back _right now." _He snarled.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible." Destane stood up slowly, holding up his hand, which was glowing red defensively. "You see, young Aladdin is already hooked up to my power-draining machine. He's probably a mamluk, right now."

"What? Mozenrath whispered, taking a few steps back, shaking his head.

Deja slowly faded into existence over at the other side of the room. His glittering black eyes speedily absorbed the situation. He stared at the ceiling, and gave an emphasized blink. The ceiling vanished.

Everyone stared at it, unsure what to make of it. "You're free to leave! You got to the blade- the ten worthy made it." Deja frowned at Destane. "Except you." Destane flew through the ceiling.

"Where'd you send him?" Genie asked.

"Killing is against my nature, so he'll orbit around the planet quickly, before hitting the Saharah Desert."

"I like your style." Genie said admiringly.

"It won't deter him for long." Deja replied. "You'd better go!"

"Ok. Mozie-" Genie began, but Mozenrath vanished in a blur of blue flame.

"Bye Deja!" Jasmine hopped onto Carpet. "Come on guys, we need to get to the Land of the Black Sand!"

The remainder of the group; Sadira, Genie, Cassim, Iago, Abu, and an upset Xerxes, hopped onto Carpet alongside Jasmine.

Carpet whizzed out of the cave, in the direction of Mozenrath's domain, leaving Deja staring up at where they had vanished, wondering if they were alll going to make it. He hung his head, and turned to start preparing the trials for the next ten worthy, who would arrive in fifty years time.


	24. Chapter 24 First Born

First Born

"No!" Aladdin struggled. His arms were locked above his head. A huge mechanical arm, ending in a huge needle, was coming straight at him. The other end was attached to the power draining furnace. Aladdin wriggled, trying dodge the needle.

He grabbed the needle on either side with his feet. "Argh..." He tried to push it away, but Destane had obviously taken measures to stop it from being knocked of course.

Just then, there was a blue flash next to him, but he didn't dare turn his head away from the needle.

"Aladdin? What are you doing? Just kick it aside!"

Aladdin recognized his brother's voice. "Don't you think I've _tried _that Mozenrath?" He groaned, still struggling against the machine.

"Sorry." Mozenrath was soon standing next to him. With a blast from his gauntlet, Mozenrath destroyed Destane's machine, then released Aladdin, who rubbed his wrists.

"Where are the others?" Aladdin asked.

"I don't know- I came straight here." Mozenrath said.

"You left them a_lone _with him? _What about Jasmine?" _He suddenly remembered what happened and began to advance on Mozenrath. "You-" He began threateningly, but Mozenrath cut him off.

"I enjoyed doing that as much as you did watching it, but I knew that that the only way for you to gain control over Destane was by _losing _control over your emotions- and you're very impulsive when you're angry." Mozenrath said, as if it had been obvious.

"So you decided to hurt Jasmine to make me attack you." Aladdin snarled.

"I didn't _hurt _her." Mozenrath said indignantly.

"Ah, divided, they fall." Destane's voice caused both brothers to swing around. Mozenrath impulsively took a shot, but it was deflected easily. "How pathetic. Even with my powers stored in the gauntlet, you still are weak."

Mozenrath frowned, looking horrified. He stared at his gauntlet then Destane. Destane smiled broadly. "Yes, now you understand."

"What?" Aladdin asked frantically.

Destane casually waved his hand and the gauntlet glowed. Mozenrath's face contorted with pain.

Aladdin looked at Mozenrath then Destane and without thinking about it, head-butted Destane in the stomach.

As Destane fell backwards, Mozenrath straightened up. "What did he do?" Aladdin demanded.

Mozenrath pinched the edge of his gauntlet gingerly with two pale fingers and peeked underneath. "Alas- there goes my right hand _again."_ He said bitterly.

Destane stood up. "You are going to regret that." He hissed at Aladdin, but then his face spread into a smile. "You're going to seriously regret that." Destane looked over his shoulder at the window.

"No!" Mozenrath gasped. He grabbed at Aladdin without looking at him (unfortunately managing to seize his hair) and, pulling hard, teleported them both to the entrance of the Citadel.

Aladdin yanked his hair free and frowned into the horizon, spotting an approaching speck which he recognized all too well. "No!" Mozenrath roared at Carpet and his passengers. "Go back! Destane will get you!"

As their friends reached them, a flash erupted, and Jasmine let out a cry.

"_Jasmine!" _Aladdin half screamed.

"The... th-the baby-!" She gasped. Everyone's blood ran cold, but Mozenrath acted swiftly, shoving everyone except Jasmine off of Carpet.

"Rug, take Jasmine back to her palace, and get her medical help. Oh," He turned to Sadira and grabbed her arm, throwing her backwards onto Carpet as well. "take her too."

"But-" Sadira's next words were cut off by the loud _ZWWWWWIP n_oise Carpet made as he shot away.

* * *

"I can't believe he did that!" Sadira gasped, as Carpet helped her lower Jasmine onto the bed in the Palace's hospital section. A loud _poof_ from behind caused Sadira to swivel around, seeing an unfamiliar, female, green Genie.

"I came as soon as I sensed it! Dhandi, you stand outside." Eden ushered a small girl towards the door. "You guys too." She said apologetically to Carpet and Sadira, all on one breath.

* * *

"Why did you do that?" Aladdin asked.

"I do apologize. Did you want her to give birth here?"

"No, but why did you send Sadira too?"

"To keep her company." Mozenrath said after a moment, staring at the floor.

A flash from inside the Citadel suddenly caught their attention, and they were all sucked in through the window, and thrown into a wall. Literally- the minute their backs impacted against the wall, it absorbed their hands.

Destane stared at them all. "Now, I'm sure _Mozenrath _knows this next spell, don't you boy?" Destane smirked. _"Trev ov gsv xsrpw mu svi dmny." _A ribbon of dark smoke lined with golden sparkles tumbled from his fingers and zipped out of the window.

"Whoa- how'd he manage to pronounce that?" Genie asked aloud.

"No no no no no no no!" Mozenrath yelled, kicking.

"Wouldn't you like to see your new son or daughter?" Destane smiled darkly. Aladdin's eyes widened.


	25. Chapter 25 Brothers United

Brothers United

Eden burst out of the room. "You won't believe it!" She squealed. "You can go in. Now Dhondi, let's go home, and I'll tell you all about it." With that, she and the small girl vanished.

Sadira and Carpet launched themselves through the door, to see a weak but happy Jasmine sitting on the bed in a white hospital gown, her knees bent upwards.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Sadira sang, sprinting over, then freezing.

In Jasmine's arms, was a baby wrapped up in white. Lying across her stomach was _another _baby with a white blanket draped over it.

"_This_," Jasmine said, "is my beautiful baby boy. And she," she leant up slightly to croon over the other baby, "is my independent little girl."

"Wow." Sadira relied on her instincts and scooped up the little girl. "Any name ideas?"

"No, I was going to wait for... Aladdin..." Jasmine's eyes filled with tears.

"No- Jazz don't cry! The babi-" Sadira began, but suddenly the room was filled with odd smoke which gushed in through the window like liquid.

Sadira heard Jasmine's scream, then felt the smoke suddenly wrench the baby girl she was holding out of her arms. "No!" She cried, shooting her arms into the smoke, trying to snatch her back, but it was too late. The smoke, and the babies, were gone.

* * *

"Ah, that'll be- _oho! This, is, interesting!"_ Destane yelled. The others all looked at each other, except Aladdin, who struggled to break free.

"No!" He gasped, when the smoke furled above Destane's head.

"Oh yes. Now, watch," Destane hissed. The smoke suddenly split into two. Aladdin swayed, face pale, looking sick, clearly thinking that his newborn had split into two. Destane laughed. "Oh don't worry- your child is still in one piece! _This _is the surprise." The smoke cleared, revealing two teenagers.

Aladdin's face was almost as pale as Mozenrath's. "They were twins?" He whispered, staring at them.

The girl- now wearing a black and navy blue corset top with a grey skirt and a dark blue hooded cape with plum-coloured wristbands- was the perfect mix of Aladdin and Jasmine. Her eyes were definitely Jasmine's, and her nose was similar to Aladdin's, her hair was too; only longer, and less poofy, but her face was almost Jasmine's, yet not as curved, a bit more angled.

The boy on the other hand -who was wearing a navy shirt, black vest, plum belt, black trousers and a cape exactly like his sisters- had Jasmine's nose and face shape, but other than that he looked exactly like Aladdin- his hair was the same, as was his mouth and eyes.

They both looked at the floor sadly, seemingly deaf to the calls of their friends and relations as their outlines blurred in and out of focus.

"Impressive, is it not?" Destane grinned. He turned to the twins. "Now move aside." They both looked at him. The boy raised his arm and rubbed his neck the exact way Aladdin did, looking nervously at his sister, who was staring at Destane defiantly. _"MOVE!" _Destane snarled, blasting them with his gauntlet, so they fell to their knees, their attractive features twisted in pain.

That was the final straw for Aladdin. He wrenched his hands out of the wall so violently that they were scratched up. He lunged at Destane, who dodged.

Destane raised his hand. "Another stunt like that, _street rat," _he hissed "_AND..." _A large, familiar crystal appeared out of nowhere. "Your brother and best friend had better watch out."

Aladdin backed into the wall beside Mozenrath. "What is that?" He hissed in a low voice, but unfortunately Destane heard him.

Destane laughed. "The street rat doesn't know what the Crystal of Ix is? Oh, how about a demonstration?"

"A Crystal of Ix can capture a nearby magical being" Mozenrath said through gritted teeth. "and can only be controlled _by _a magical being- wait!" He said suddenly, turning his head to look at Aladdin, who had been slyly trying to tug Mozenrath's right hand out of the wall. "But you-" Aladdin clapped a hand over Mozenrath's mouth, with a made gleam in his eye, making him look uncannily like his older brother. Abandoning his attempts to free Mozenrath's arm, Aladdin grabbed the only part of the gauntlet he could reach.

There was a resulting flash. When it cleared, Mozenrath and Aladdin were still where they were, only they had swapped clothing. "Right first time." Aladdin whispered triumphantly, breathing heavily. He then ran forward, disappearing into the shadows.

"Ah!" Abu said, who was hanging two feet from the floor.

"Agreeing with the monkey" Iago said (his feet were planted in the wall, giving the impression he was defying gravity by standing on the wall), "WHAT is wrong with Al?"

"It's the gauntlet's power- it's changing him." Mozenrath said quietly, in a shocked voice. "He's come into contact with it so much today- he's not used to it's dark power..."

Destane stood beside Cassim. "Looks like I took the wrong brother after all." Destane grinned into the shadows. "Could that be Altzenroth? The son I never had?" Destane called mockingly.

Aladdin's face appeared, ten feet up the wall, lit up red by the now glowing gauntlet- he appeared to be hanging off something. "Maybe." He said, before the gauntlet dimmed and he vanished again.

"We'll see." Destane said, walking away from Cassim.

"No he isn't! Aladdin, take that glove _off!" _Cassim shouted.

"Don't worry Dad, I can take him." Aladdin's voice was echoing creepily around the dark.

"Remember what happened last time you said that?" Cassim replied.

"That was different- Sa'luk was _your _enemy." Aladdin replied, echoes still making it impossible to pinpoint where he was.

"Destane's more my enemy than yours." Mozenrath retorted.

"No offence, but you don't look like you could handle him right now." Aladdin responded again. "I can."

"Aladdin- you don't know what he can do!" Mozenrath managed to tug his right hand from the wall (his hand was normal as Aladdin had that pesky gauntlet, thus meaning Aladdin had the skeleton hand).

Aladdin didn't respond, and no one noticed him appear next to the Crystal of Ix- except Mozenrath, who was (surprising himself) relieved to see he looked more like himself, and not a potential bad guy.

_I'm going to use this_ Aladdin mouthed pointing at the Crystal, _to get him. _Aladdin then pointed at Destane.

Mozenrath nodded. _Then throw the gauntlet to me. _He mouthed back, pointing to the cursed glove then himself. Aladdin nodded.

_"Ixtalar." _He whispered, causing the Crystal to silently light up, shooting a beam at Destane. The others all swung their heads around in shock.

Aladdin hastily peeled the gauntlet off of his bone hand and threw it to Mozenrath, who caught it, causing him and Aladdin to turn back to normal. Aladdin flexed his right hand appreciatively as the flesh appeared on it again, as Mozenrath freed everyone.

Destane lit up his hands and plunged them into the ground. His fingers dragged across the floor. As Destane was pulled towards the Crystal, he glanced at Mozenrath, who looked up at him. Destane's face cracked into a smile as he half glanced in Aladdin's direction.

"No!" Mozenrath yelled, lunging forwards as Destane pulled his fingers from the floor.

Aladdin looked from Mozenrath to Destane, who was getting closer. Aladdin attempted to dodge, but it was too late. Destane seized his throat and pulled him into the Crystal of Ix.


	26. Chapter 26 Torn

Torn

"What?" (_A__ great way to open a chapter -_- ~GingerBizkits)_ "What just- how can that happen? AL! BUDDY!" Genie yelled, hammering his fist on the crystal.

"He had magic in his soul- not much, but it was enough..." Mozenrath stared at the clouded crystal. "Destane!" He roared.

The Crystal of Ix's surface slowly cleared, revealing Aladdin, kneeling down, rubbing the palms of his hands against his forehead.

"Aladdin!" Mozenrath yelled. Aladdin lowered his hands, looked up slowly, and glanced over his shoulder. Destane stood up slowly, staring at Mozenrath.

"Tragic, isn't it?" He said, calmly. Mozenrath glared back, a muscle twitched in his cheek.

Aladdin stared at his brother, then up at Destane, who smiled down at him through narrowed eyes. "He can't let us out." Destane whispered.

"What? Why?" Aladdin asked, staring at Mozenrath.

"I _could, _but he'd..." Mozenrath began, but tailed off.

"_I'll _tell you why." Destane pointed a finger at Aladdin, whose head was then immediately thrown backwards to look at the sorcerer, much to Mozenrath's fury (_Seriously- throwing your head back really fast hurts like hell- and if you just tried it, you're awesome :D~ GingerBizkits_.) "If he lets you out, I'll get out too. And when I do, I'll warp myself out of here, and get to work, taking over the Seven Deserts, by transforming _everyone _into Mamluks with one sweep of my hand."

Aladdin's eyes widened. "Pity..." Destane continued. "About the Princess." Aladdin turned his head to look at the floor. "Such a pity. But, being a princess, she'll understand. Her sadness and your freedom lost, would be nothing compared to the destruction of the Seven Deserts."

Aladdin focused hard on the green crystal before him.

"Of course, we are now eternal." Destane continued, and despite himself, Aladdin turned to look at him. "We'll be stuck like this forever- never hungry, unless you are now, never getting tired... or old. Can you imagine? We'd be in here, watching as your princess grows older and older, until she eventually..."

Aladdin stood up abruptly, causing Destane to stop talking, and slammed his fist against the edges of the Crystal.

"Fool! That won't work." Destane snarled, reaching forward. Aladdin swung his hand behind him to swat Destane away, when it was seized by magic. Aladdin was swung around by his arm.

With a sly grin at Mozenrath, Destane punched the defenceless Aladdin over the mouth, then Destane swung him around, holding the boy's limp form against his own, holding him up by his hair with one hand, and placing a magically-conjured knife against his throat with the other hand. Ropes appeared, binding Aladdin's arms to his sides, and blood that had formed after that punch was slipping out through Aladdin's lips.

"Oh, look at him, Mozenrath- he faces an eternity of torture." Destane said, in a mock baby voice. "Just let us out, and I'll make your deaths all quick- you won't feel a thing."

Aladdin shook his head slowly at the others. Destane hissed into his ear. "You don't mean that."

Aladdin blinked. "Mozenrath- maybe you'd better send the Crystal away, somewhere no one would ever find it."

"No." Mozenrath said.

"He's just trying to use me to get to you. You don't have to watch- just go to Agrabah, tell Jasmine... something happened, and then get rid of the crystal."

"Funny how it works, isn't it?" Destane said. "Yesterday, this would have been a dream come true, your greatest enemies, locked away forever... yet today-"

"I _still _want my greatest enemy locked away forever!" Mozenrath said angrily.

"Oh touching. The rat is no longer your enemy?" Destane said. He slowly held the knife away from Aladdin's throat, then pointed it _back_ at Aladdin.

_"No!" _Mozenrath yelled, as the knife sunk into his brother's stomach. _"Aladdin!" _Destane let Aladdin fall limply to the floor, holding up the bloody knife.

Mozenrath knelt down beside the Crystal at Aladdin's height. "M-mozen-" Aladdin gasped. He was lying on his stomach, fingers scratching the hard slippery floors of the crystal, looking for something to clutch, to try and relieve the pain slightly.

"Yeah... that's my name." Mozenrath said quietly.

"It's f-fine now." Aladdin gasped. "I-i'll die... hate him... h-hate... him for... killing me... now ba-banish the c-cryst-tal." Aladdin's eyelids faltered.

"No- no Aladdin look at me..." Mozenrath tried to say, but Aladdin didn't seem to hear, as his blood pooled around him.

"Torn..." Aladdin muttered, as he blacked out. "Between letting the one you loved die, or letting your greatest enemy die..." No one was sure whether he was talking to himself or Mozenrath. Maybe both.


	27. Chapter 27 Opposites

Opposites

"Pity." Destane said, looking down at Aladdin. "Let me out, eh? I don't feel like spending eternity next to your little brother's bloodless corpse, Mozenrath."

Mozenrath shook all over, staring at his brother, whose fingers were twitching feebly. "I almost did. I almost let you out... but, now he's dead... I will _never_ let you out. You can stay there forever."

"Saw that coming a mile off." Destane smirked. The blood on the crystal floor around him suddenly glowed, and forced it's way back into Aladdin's chest. Aladdin gasped and rolled onto his back as he was forced sharply out of his unconscious state. "I will torture him to the end of time, Mozenrath." Destane hissed, as Aladdin shakily got to his feet.

"Aladdin..." Mozenrath said, staring up at his brother through the crystal. Aladdin's eyes shut tightly, then reopened, trying to clear the pain. Destane smiled slyly at the back of Aladdin's head.

Aladdin's eyes screwed up tightly, and his forehead pressed against the Crystal. "_I can't do it." _He whispered in a hoarse monotone. "_Let me out plese- I thought I was strong enough to take it, but I can't..."_

Mozenrath's eyes widened at his brother's pain. He lit up his gauntlet slowly.

"NO!" Cassim bellowed, suddenly, making everyone except Aladdin jump. "Aladdin, open your eyes."

Mozenrath stared closely at his brother. "Aladdin? Open your eyes _now."_

Aladdin pulled at the skin around his eyes. "Mozenrath Destane's making me-" He yelled urgently, when his voice cut off_. "Destane's making my eyes sting." _He said, in a completely different voice, whilst his hands still rubbed his eyes frantically.

"What's the matter with him!" Genie asked.

Iago stared at Destane, who was watching Aladdin intently, when Aladdin burst out: "He's controlling me! That's why he doesn't want me to open my eyes!"

"Oh, then you had to spoil it!" Destane grumbled, as Aladdin finally forced his eyes open, revealing that they were the same green as Destane's. "I _almost _had us out of here, isn't that what you-"

"How did you return?" Aladdin interruped, frowning at Destane, then looking at Mozenrath.

Destane laughed. "Your father's hatred, of course. His fury reminded me why I enjoyed being alive so much."

Cassim looked horrified. "So all this is my fault?" Destane nodded cruelly.

Whilst the others all stared at each other, Aladdin frowned slightly, his hands still pressed against the Crystal's edges. Aladdin bit his lip, and his eyebrows furrowed further as his eyes flickered from side to side, as he thought desperately. Then his eyes widened as it came to him.

Smiling slightly, Aladdin shut his eyes, and began to whisper softly under his breath, very quickly.

Destane's smile faultered, and he looked at Aladdin's back, frowning in horror, as Aladdin's silhouette glowed golden. He reached for the back of Aladdin's head, then gave a start as the Crystal was suddenly illuminated with white light. Blurred flashes of Jasmine blew around inside the Crystal, and then vanished when Aladdin had stopped whispering and the golden glow vanished.

Aladdin spun around and stared at Destane, who looked thinner. Aladdin closed his eyes as the golden glow appeared again. This time, images of Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago flickered around. Destane hissed as his hands began to wither. An image of Cassim hugging Aladdin appeared, and Destane let out a screech.

As the golden light flickered, one final image appeared. Aladdin opened his eyes, and smiled, as the faded image of his brother managed a half smile before flickering away.

Aladdin stared at Destane, who was still writhing and yelling, as he withered away, until he was a mamluk once more.

"Hey Al, whadya do?" Iago asked.

"He said it was hatred that brought him back to life, right?" Aladdin said, smiling at them. "And the opposite of hatred is love. So, I thought about those I loved most, and used the remainder of magic that I had left in my soul to radiate it at him, until he became a mamluk." Aladdin continued.

Everyone stared at him for a moment, when Xerxes suddenly croaked "Behind you!"

Aladdin ducked just in time, as Destane's rotting hands made a grab for him. Aladdin spun around as his brother's former master made another move, intending to kill him. Mozenrath opened the crystal, and Aladdin tumbled out backwards, followed by Destane.

"Come here, _Street Rat!"_ Destane snarled, in a horrible deep voice. He lunged at Aladdin, who shuffled backwards. Mozenrath blasted Destane with his gauntlet, turning him to dust.

Genie silently _poofed_ a hoover into existence, and sucked up the dust, before making it vanish.

Mozenrath hauled Aladdin to his feet, and swung him around, both hands on Aladdin's shoulders. "Are you insane?" He asked furiously. They both stared silently at each other, when Aladdin put his cheek against Mozenrath's chest, and hugged him. Mozenrath looked surprised for a moment, then placed one hand on his brother's back and the other on the back of his head.

Cassim smiled at them both, whilst Genie rubbed the back of his head and frowned at Iago and Abu, who both had their heads tilted to one side. Xerxes's eyes were sweeping everyone, not knowing what to make of the situation.

Mozenrath then stepped back from Aladdin and turned to look at the two teenagers, who were still in the corner. "I can't make them the age they were before." He muttered to Aladdin. "But I can make them both babies again, but only for this day, tomorrow, they will be this age again, and every year on this day, they will return to their true age."

"So- next year, they'll turn back into one year-olds?" Aladdin asked.

"Yes. But if I turn them back into babies now, you and Jasmine will have time to explain to everyone the situation." Mozenrath added.

Aladdin hesitated. "Ok."

Mozenrath swept his hand over the kids, so they turned back into infants, and vanished.

"Wha- where'd they go?" Aladdin asked, sounding horror-stricken.

"Back to their mother." Mozenrath smiled. Aladdin nodded, then regained calm.

"We should all go back to." Genie said. "On to Agrabah!"

"Genie, no!" Aladdin yelled, as Genie teleported them all away.


	28. Chapter 28 Still Wanted

Still Wanted

They all landed with a bump into the corridor next to the throne room.

"What's up Al?" Genie asked, puzzled.

"Maybe you just transported the two most wanted men in Agrabah, into the palace?" Aladdin hissed. "Dad, Mozen, you'd better get out of here."

"What's going on here?" A horribly familiar voice sounded. Aladdin threw himself back against Mozenrath and Cassim, trying to hide them. Rasoul walked into view. He glared down at Aladdin.

"What are you hiding?" He snarled, seizing Aladdin by his vest and easily lifting him up into the air. He gave a start as two of the most wanted people in Agrabah glared up at him, angry with the way they were holding Aladdin. "GUARDS!" He bellowed.

"No, wait!" Aladdin yelled struggling, as the guards suddenly rounded the corner and froze. Rasoul- who had been about to drop Aladdin- stiffened.

"What was that, Street-Rat?" Rasoul hissed dangerously. Aladdin gulped as the guards hand-cuffed Cassim, and pulled him back, whilst the rest of them watched Mozenrath warily, not wanting to go near him.

"Er..." Aladdin said, turning his head away from Rasoul's.

"Don't tell me. Mozenrath is your brother." Rasoul said, chuckling darkly, which then cut off when Aladdin looked at him sharply. Rasoul stared hard at Aladdin, who swallowed.

"Er..."

Rasoul slammed Aladdin's back into the wall. _"Is this true?"_ He bellowed. Aladdin winced and rubbed the back of his head where it had hit the wall, and nodded slowly.

"You-" Rasoul snarled, when he was cut off.

"My word, what _is_ this racket about?" Aladdin groaned as the Sultan bounced around the corner. "Rasoul! Put the boy down!"

"Your Highness, look who my men have just captured." Rasoul pointed at Cassim. The Sultan looked crestfallen. He had hoped that the King of Thieves would have had the sense to stay away from Agrabah.

Cassim cleared his throat. "Would it be rude of me to request that your guard put my son down? Especially after what he's been through today."

"It's fine Dad, I'm used to it." Aladdin said, earning a growl from Rasoul.

"Oh really?" Mozenrath's sarcastic tone caused the Sultan to wheel around in horror. "Do put him down." Mozenrath's gauntlet lit up threateningly.

"No-! Mozen- that'll make it worse-" Aladdin choked (Rasoul's hands had repositioned themselves on his throat). Rasoul tossed Aladdin carelessly, so that he landed in a heap at Mozenrath's feet. Mozenrath reached his arm down to help Aladdin up, then withdrew it quickly.

"Good idea." Aladdin muttered. Swapping bodies would be a really bad idea at this point in time. Unfortunately, Rasoul's hawk eyes registered this detail.

"What happens, Street rat?" He said, folding his arms.

"N-nothing." Aladdin said as he stood up.

"Anyway your Highness," Rasoul continued. "It looks like Aladdin has some other relatives he never told us about." The Sultan's brain nearly exploded.

"Wha- _Mozenrath? _No- this is just- _how_- oh my." He finally whispered.

"Yes- this, is the Street Rat's _brother."_ Rasoul hissed.

Aladdin raised his hands, palms facing upwards. "Okay, I _know _this looks bad-" He began, when Rasoul seized his right wrist and knocked it against Mozenrath's gauntlet.

"Uh-oh!" Genie said, flying in front of the two brothers just as the flash appeared. "Nothing to see here..." He said.

Rasoul pushed Genie aside, to see Aladdin and Mozenrath standing there.

"Nothing to see. As I was saying..." Aladdin said, holding his right arm behind his back. Genie sighed.

"Whew- must be a mild switch." Iago muttered.

"What's on your hand, Aladdin?" Rasoul said, pulling Aladdin's concealed arm out from behind his back, revealing that Aladdin was now wearing the gauntlet.

"You see!" Rasoul roared, as Aladdin and Mozenrath hastily switched back with a shocking flash. "Your son in law has many interesting family connections- doesn't this mean he is technically the Prince of Thieves and the Duke of the Black Sand! _As well as _the Prince of Agrabah! We never had to worry about the Princess marrying royalty after all!"

He grabbed Aladdin once more, when the door opened, and an angry female voice commanded: "Put him _down, _Rasoul! NOW!"

Jasmine was in the doorway, still wearing that white outfit as she knelt on Carpet, holding her two babies. On her right was Sadira, and Rajah was on her left. They all looked formidable, especially since they were silhouetted against the light from the other room.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin said, as Rasoul dropped him. Aladdin got up and ran to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, and so are these two." She smiled and raised the baby girl into Aladdin's arms. Aladdin looked down at her, eyes wide. Jasmine suddenly looked serious. "Is that where he got you?" She whispered, nodding at a large red mark on Aladdin's stomach.

Aladdin ducked and tried to hide it. "How'd you-?"

"Know? This." Jasmine held up a scroll. Aladdin snatched it and read it quickly, then glared at Mozenrath. It was written by Mozenrath, explaining to Jasmine what had happened after she had left, not including the hug, yet it still included the stabbing and the torture, although the main focus was on the children.

"Oh what?" Mozenrath grumbled defensively. "I didn't know you weren't going to tell here about what happened! I forgot you liked to not tell her about your suffering so she doesn't suffer with you... (how sweet)."

"Jasmine...?" The Sultan called, mystified. Aladdin and Jasmine exchanged glances. Nobody had even realised Jasmine had been pregnant, besides she was only a few months into her pregnancy- if Destane hadn't of cast that spell, the babies wouldn't have been born for a while yet. How were they going to explain that not only did Jasmine and Aladdin gain two children, by tomorrow, they will become teenagers?

Jasmine held out the letter. "Father- maybe you'd better read this."

"No no, that's okay..." Aladdin leant over and tried to snatch it back, one-handed as he tried to hold his daughter. Jasmine tried to lean back and keep the letter out of Aladdin's grasp whilst trying not to dislodge her son. "Jasmine, give- ugh." Aladdin's fear had come true: Rasoul snatched the letter.

"Really Street rat?" Rasoul scoffed, screwing the letter up in a ball and tossing it over his shoulder (he didn't notice Genie hip-bump it into the Sultan's turban, nor did he see the Sultan un-fold it and begin to read it). "_'Agrabah's safety is more important than my life and the Princess's happiness?'_ You expect us to swallow that?" He leant in and glared into Aladdin's eyes, daring him to look away. Aladdin glared determinedly back.

"Yes Rasoul, I _do _expect you to... _swallow _that." Jasmine said furiously. Rasoul didn't look at her, until the Sultan spoke.

"My dear boy, are you all right?" The Sultan looked from the crumpled letter in his hands to the wound on Aladdin's stomach.

"Yes- I'm fine!" Aladdin said.

"Okay, but what about these two?" The Sultan looked at the twins. "We should get them a room." Jasmine nodded in agreement, pondering what would happen next.

And so they set off in an odd parade: the Sultan led the way with Iago on his shoulder, followed by Jasmine on Carpet with the boy, Aladdin alongside her holding their daughter, with Mozenrath behind him, followed closely by Rasoul ("Look Guard, put hand-cuffs on me, and I'll melt them instantly." Mozenrath spat at Rasoul when he attempted to do that), restraining Cassim behind them were two other guards, followed by Genie and Sadira. Xerxes and Abu sat on Mozenrath and Aladdin's shoulders (well, Xerxes sort of flopped on Mozenrath's shoulder).

After a few steps, Aladdin noticed his daughter was focusing intently on something just above Aladdin's shoulder. He followed her gaze to Mozenrath. Aladdin looked back at his daughter, puzzled.

"This?" Xerxes asked, pulling the small red stone from Mozenrath's turban, and dropping it into the girl's hand. "It's a ruby."

"Xerxes," Mozenrath muttered irritably, as his turban fell apart. He dissolved it with his gauntlet's power, making Rasoul jump. Meanwhile, Aladdin's daughter (after Aladdin had hastily wiped Xerxes drool off it) was holding the ruby up near her eye, giggling as it distorted the world around her.

Mozenrath tried to peek at her to see what she was laughing about, but Rasoul snarled fiercely. "_All right!" _Mozenrath said defensively. "At least I know I'm still wanted." He muttered to Aladdin.


	29. Chapter 29 Egos and Jewels

Egos and Jewels

Aladdin, Jasmine, the Sultan, Genie, Rasoul and the others all went into a spare room. This room was and exact mirror image of Jasmine's old room (she and Aladdin have their own room in the back of the Palace), only it was on the tower over the other side of the Palace, as the Palace was designed to look symmetrical.

It was here that they decided to place the boy- true, he looked a little odd in the bed, being so tiny, but if he was going to grow rapidly into a teenage boy overnight, it was for the best.

Genie zapped here and there, at first going for the '80s teen boy's room theme, but changing to a deep, velvety black/purple/navy theme trimmed with gold when Iago's disgusted squawks threatened to wake up the babies.

Jasmine pulled the velvet blanket up to the baby's shoulders. As the boy lay, not knowing he was being looked upon by a fairly large group, Aladdin and Jasmine looked at each other. "Did you name him?" Aladdin whispered.

"No- I wanted to wait for you. But... I do have a name." Jasmine muttered, embarrassed.

"Oh good." Aladdin said. "I thought the baby would be a girl, so I didn't think of any boy names. What is it?"

Jasmine paused. "Ali." She said finally. Aladdin smiled at her, and nodded.

"Or should we say: _Aladdin." _Iago muttered. Abu: the only one who heard him, whacked him away irritably.

They all stepped back as the moon rose enough to bathe little Ali's figure in light. He rapidly grew before their eyes, until the teenage boy was sleeping in the bed, his young frowning slightly as he pondered in his dreams.

"H-he's a deep thinker." Jasmine gasped quietly, sobbing silently. Aladdin wrapped his free arm around her.

"Shh..." He whispered. He slowly steered her out of the room, and they tiptoed to Jasmine's old room. Genie kept the theme, and stepped back as the put the baby into the bed. She glared at them, and raised her arms, demanding to be lifted out of bed.

"No, no." Aladdin murmured, gently pushing her hands down to her sides. The girl glared at him and began to peer through Mozenrath's ruby at them all again.

"What should we name her?" Jasmine asked. "I thought the baby would be a boy, so I didn't think of any girl names."

Aladdin paused. "What about... Ruby?" He asked quietly.

Jasmine smiled. "Rubith- Ruby for short." She said. "That was the name of an early Agrabanian Princess."

Aladdin nodded and smiled, which faded as a small breeze blew open the curtains, causing moonlight to light up Rubith, who slowly lay down under the blankets as she grew. Aladdin gently pushed the sobbing Jasmine into the corridor.

"Jazz- it's okay, they're fine!" Aladdin said, hugging her.

"But Aladdin- they've missed the first years of their lives! What's going to happen to them? Can they speak?" Jasmine cried.

"Yes..." Mozenrath muttered. Everyone looked at him, and he shifted guiltily. "I wasn't sure what you'd tell them about the past, so they have fifteen years worth of memories of living in the Palace. They frequently visit the marketplace though. But all they know about your past is that Aladdin was once a street-rat and Jasmine was always a princess."

"Oh." Was all Aladdin could say.

"Touching." Said Rasoul, taking a sudden swipe at Mozenrath and seizing his shoulder, and then grabbing his throat. Mozenrath responded by burning Rasoul's hands and ducking away.

"I'm not in the mood for being arrested, so I'm gonna go now." Mozenrath said, lighting up the gauntlet. "Who else here is wanted? Ah yes." Mozenrath sent a stream of magic that looped around himself, Cassim, Xerxes and Iago. "Be Aladdin, good luck with the escorts! And the alter-egos and jewels." With a flash, they vanished.

"You prevented them from escaping!" Rasoul bellowed at Aladdin, luckily not realizing that "Escorts" was a joke Mozenrath once made about the... challenged palace guards.

"I didn't do anything!" Aladdin hissed. "Shut up! You might wake up Rubith or Ali."

Rasoul growled and stormed away, muttering about the new "Street Rat clone". Aladdin made to go after him furiously, but Jasmine grabbed his arm.

"Maybe we'd all better get to bed." Jasmine said in a soothing voice, looking at Rasoul's retreating figure. "It's been a long day." Aladdin sighed, and agreed.

* * *

The next morning, Jasmine lay awake, worrying. She'd only known her children for a few hours. How long it would take before she could love Rubith and Ali as if she'd known them for as long as they themselves believed she did? She lay there worrying, suddenly concious of her reflection in the mirror. She had an expression on her face that greatly resembled Ali's concerned face while he slept.

Jasmine gave a start as something red sailed into the room.

"Mu-uuu-uuuuuuu-m!" Rubith sang, skipping around in a circle beside the bed. Jasmine sat upright, and stared at her pirouetting daughter. As it often happens when looking at a family member, Jasmine could see the resemblance to Aladdin in Rubith more than her own resemblance. Jasmine spotted that Rubith's nose was similar to Aladdin's, and that her hair was too; only longer, and less poofy- more jagged.

"Mum!" Rubith repeated. "Chef Abin doesn't want to start making breakfast 'til you're up, so can you get up? I'm hungry, thanks bye!" She said all on one breath, before rushing out the door, shoving the palm of her hand against Ali's face, who had just walked into the room.

_"Ouch!"_ Ali said, as he fell over backwards, caught off guard. He glared at the retreating blur of Rubith. He stood up slowly and looked at Jasmine, who froze as eyes _exactly _like Aladdin's stared back at her. Ali frowned. "Mum- you okay?"

"Yes- Ali, I'm fine." Jasmine stammered.

"No you're not." Said Ali, running to her side. "Should I tell I tell Sultan you're ill?" Jasmine gave a start. He called his Grandfather _Sultan? Formal._

"I am- just a little tired." Jasmine sighed.

"Let me help you." Ali said, and helped her stand up. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again.

Jasmine smiled with genuine warmth. "I'm fine. Tell Rubith I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay," Ali said. "I'm gonna take her to the marketplace later- she usually calms down after that. I just wish she wouldn't steal so much."

"Does she steal often?"

"Yeah. Thinks it's fun. _And _she never goes back and pays for it- I normally feel guilty, so I do it for her."

Jasmine stared at her son in amazement. He was so... mature. And Rubith was so _immature!_ "All right." She choked out. "I'd better wake your father."

"Okay. Oh, and Ruby gave me this-" Ali said, holding out Mozenrath's ruby. "She promised she didn't steal it, but you can't be too careful with her."

"It's fine." Jasmine said, taking it. "I'll find out where it came from."

"Okay." Ali nodded and smiled in an embarrassed kind of way. "I need to stop saying 'okay'. Anyway- bye." And he walked out the room, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. As soon as he vanished, Jasmine swung around, horrified.

"Aladdin! Wake up!" She cried, shaking him.

"What -what? Are you okay, what's happened?" He sat up startled.

"I just spoke to Ali!" Jasmine gasped. Aladdin's eyes were unfocused, then suddenly cleared when he remembered the events of yesterday.

"Whoa." He muttered, shaking his head. "So it wasn't a dream..." He ran his hound down his cheek and stared at Jasmine. "What did Ali say?"

"He doesn't know a thing about yesterday. He talks about Rubith like... like a parent... like we haven't been there! It's like we aren't his parents!" jasmine's voice wavered.

"Hey- shh!" Aladdin wrapped his arms around her. "It's fine- they live here, we'll be seeing them everyday- let's just get to know them, and soon we'll love them as much as we should."

Jasmine sniffed and wiped her tears away. "Okay. You're right." She smiled weakly at her husband, and leant in...

_"MUM!"_ Rubith's voice shrieked from downstairs, echoing around the marble palace. A second later, Ali burst in.

"Mum, Rubith is going _nuts, _maybe you'd better come down, she's hungry and- hey, what's wrong?" Ali said, quickly cutting off.

"Nothing." Jasmine mumbled. Ali took a step forward, but was then bowled to the floor when his sister burst in.

_"Mum! _I am going nuts with hunger, can you _pleeaaase _come down, Chef Abin _won't _feed me, he's still waiting for you to get up!... are you okay?" She asked, eyeing her parents.

"Yeah..." Aladdin said. "Aren't you going to apologize to your brother?" Rubith looked down, only just noticing her brother.

"Why are you on the floor?"

Ali turned his palms up to the ceiling quickly. "You're the one who- oh never mind. Didn't you hear what Dad said?"

"I'm sorry you are so clumsy." Rubith grinned. Ali glared at her. "What?" She said indignantly. "It isn't _my _fault you're so clumsy. Hope you're okay mum, come down soon, I'm hungry _bye!" _And she tore from the room, Ali close behind her.

Jasmine and Aladdin stared silently at the spot they were standing. Aladdin cleared his throat, but had nothing to say. Wordlessly, Jasmine held out the ruby.

"I'd better give it back to Mozenrath." Aladdin said. "Maybe I can talk to him about... is he _seriously _my brother? Wow. Yesterday was dramatic."

Jasmine smiled for the first time in all day.


	30. Chapter 30 Hessa Destiny

Hessa Destiny

Aladdin wanted to set off as soon as possible, but Jasmine made him wait, and eat breakfast with the kids. It wasn't eventful- until Rubith started a food fight. She threw a juicy fruit at the side of his head. Ali had wiped it off furiously, and threw a watermelon slice back at her. She skilfully ducked, causing the watermelon to sail into Genie's mouth...

Ten seconds later, Aladdin and Jasmine sprinted from the room, arms over their heads, grinning. "Aladdin- they are _definitely _your children." Jasmine laughed

"Yours too." He smiled, ducking as a banana acted like a boomerang, sailing over Aladdin's head then back into the dining room again. "I'd better go now whilst they're all distracted. He kissed Jasmine's cheek and whistled for Carpet, who flew in through the window. Aladdin leapt on, and waved goodbye to Jasmine, clutching the ruby as Carpet whizzed away.

Aladdin had automatically considered adding a cloak to his outfit, and had to remind himself that he needn't go to the land of the black sand in disguise... hopefully. So he stuck with the outfit he had originally been wearing: his "Fancy" street rat attire, which was the same as his usual one, except he had boots tucked into his trousers, and his vest was lined with gold.

Aladdin leant forward nervously on Carpet, almost telling him to turn back several times. After yesterday, would Mozenrath have changed, or would he still plan to destroy Agrabah? Would things be forced to carry on as they were before... the fighting and such?

Aladdin shivered as they arrived. Carpet hesitated before the door, and turned towards the tower window. Aladdin paused for a moment too.

"Maybe we'd better take the window. Just in case." He whispered, gripping Carpet's front edge. Carpet nodded and silently drifted to the window. Aladdin leant forward and peered inside.

Mozenrath was below them, and was levitating the Crystal out of the messy hole in the floor. Once it was out, he shrunk it, and tossed it to Xerxes, who carried it out the room. After a quick wave of his hand fixed the floor, Mozenrath wandered over to a nearby desk, and began shifting through the bottles and scrolls on it, muttering to himself. Aladdin placed one hand on the windowsill and leant in dangerously close, trying to catch what he was saying.

"-potions... scrolls... what else do I have to do? Ah yes." Mozenrath swung around, and shot at Aladdin. Carpet zoomed out of the window backwards to try to get away, but the magic seized Aladdin and he was pulled back into Mozenrath's home.

Mozenrath tilted his head up to observe his brother, who was suspended above his head in a ball of blue flame. "Saw your reflection." He announced casually, indicating the shiny surfaces of the bottles on his desk. Aladdin cursed himself inwardly. Mozenrath raised his eyebrows, and clicked his fingers, making the flames disappear. Carpet quickly whizzed over and caught Aladdin just before he hit the ground.

Mozenrath turned back to his scroll, while Aladdin shook himself. "Mozenrath-"

"I'm considering dropping the name Destane gave me." Mozenrath informed Aladdin tetchily.

"Oh, er... Mozen?" Aladdin said, hesitantly.

"Yes?" Mozen asked, taking one last look at the scroll before leviataing it back onto a nearby shelf.

"Here's your ruby." Aladdin held it out on one hand.

Mozen turned slowly to look at Aladdin, eyebrows raised sceptically once more. He took the ruby with his non-gauntleted hand, and looked at it in his hand. "You didn't come all the way over here to give me this."

"Er- no. I was wondering... what are you going to do now?" Aladdin asked.

"The usual." Mozen replied. Seeing the shocked look on Aladdin's face, he added "Not what you're thinking of. I'm... starting over."

"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked suspiciously.

_"AL!"_ A voice screamed, and Iago slammed into Aladdin's chest.

"Iago? Are you all right?" Aladdin asked, holding up the quivering bird to his eyes.

"No- get me outta here, Al! I miss the comforts of the Palace! There are Mamluks _everywhere!_" Iago wailed.

Aladdin patted his back. "Okay Iago, you can come back. I get the feeling you'd get on well with Rubith." Iago looked puzzled.

"Who? Your daughter?"

"Yep." Aladdin leant in and whispered in Iago's ear "Ali tells me that she spends all her time stealing from the royal treasury. Maybe you'd like to join her?"

Iago looked delighted. "Yesyesyesyesyes!"

"Avoid Rasoul though." Aladdin added.

"Obviously I'll avoid that ugly mug." Iago grumbled.

"So where's dad?" Aladdin looked over at the doorway.

"Out in the streets, looking around." Mozen muttered. "Hates the mamluks of course. That's what I'm doing now. Fixing this land- making it what it was_ before_ Destane took over and turned everyone into mamluks."

"You mean- the mamluks were once-?"

"Villagers? Yes. I believe they were just called the Residents of Black Sand. So, aside from my enemies, I was trying to resurrect the mamluks back into the villagers they were before."

Aladdin stared wide-eyed at his brother. "What if you resurrect something unfriendly?"

"Oh that's easy. Watch." Mozen turned to look at the door.

"Creep." Iago whispered to Aladdin.

"You!" Mozen suddenly bellowed. Iago jumped, thinking Mozen meant him, but Mozen had actually been referring to a mamluk outside, who lumbered in, Xerxes flew in immediately after, and Cassim, who was holding a sack, which he then tipped on the floor, revealing about thirty small Ix Crystals.

"We gather Crystals." Xerxes explained.

"In which,"Mozen continued, as Cassim waved to Aladdin, who nodded and smiled back. "are stored the energy and power of all those Destane drained to create his mamluks. Now," Mozen lit up his gauntlet, and made the Crystals orbit around the mamluk until one of them glowed.

"Aha-" Mozen grabbed it. "This one is where this mamluk's power was stored. Destane was probably trying to become immortal with them." Mozen explained to Aladdin. "But he obviously didn't research well enough, because it wouldn't work. Dark magic makes you age, and by using _more _power from these crystals, your power would obviously increase, but so would your age."

"Swot." Iago muttered to Aladdin.

Mozen expanded the Crystal, which then sucked the mamluk into its green interior. "Now," Mozen said, "I reverse the spell, and if the mamluk was no danger in it's original form, I will let it out. If not, I'll turn it back into a mamluk."

He raised his gauntlet, and the Crystal gave a blinding flash. Everyone lowered their eyes and gasped.

In the Crystal stood a young, slender girl- about twelve years old. Except she had one eye in the middle of her face. And long black hair in the style of an ancient Eygptian. And she was covered in fur. She was wearing the Mamluk clothing and a look of alarm on her face.

She also was covered in brown fur, and had cat ears. Her eye was green, and had clawed fingers.

All in all, she had a strong resemblance to Mirage.

She looked at her brown clawed hands with her one cyclops eye with relief. "Thank the heavens, I'm not a Mamluk anymore!" She sang gleefully. Her outline glowed green, and she walked through the edges of the Crystal, and grinned at the group with sharp cat teeth.

The Catgirl/Cyclops's smile faded. She glanced around at the horrified faces of Aladdin, Mozen, Iago, Xerxes and Cassim nervously. "What?"

Aladdin cleared his throat. "Have you ever met Mirage?" He asked, uneasily. The girl's eye narrowed, and green streams of light flickered up and down her arms.

"Yes. Why?" She asked, abruptly. Then she laughed without humour. "Stupid question. I look like her. Duh. She ruin your lives too? Obviously, since you're all standing here. Where'd Destane go?" She stood on her toes, looking over their heads.

"Dead." Mozen said abruptly. The "girl" stared at him for a moment.

"Is it bad that I'm really glad to hear that? That evil jackal should've gone earlier- and I don't care if he's my uncle." She said, folding her arms as if she were daring them to tell her she was bad for saying so.

Aladdin however, was thinking. According to the memories from the caves, Destane was Mirage's sister, pre-cat mutation. "You're Mirage's _daughter?"_ He said in disbelief.

She looked over at Aladdin. "Yeah. Ish. She didn't want a child, but her brother Destane wanted an apprentice. So she and Destane used magic to create me from a mixture of four people."

"Eurgh." Iago shrieked at the same time as Xerxes lisped it.

"I know!" The girl exclaimed. "I have two forms. The one I am at the moment was made from Mirage and a powerful fortune-teller called Phasir."

"EURGH!" Iago screamed at the same time as Aladdin said _"What?"_

"Friend of yours?" Mozen asked. Aladdin nodded.

"Oh it gets worse. " The girl said, grimly. "To look for more power, Destane peered into the future- skipping over the section where he would turn me into a mamluk- he noticed his future held the possibility of _two _seperate apprentices, both of whom would have excellent magical talent in different areas. So they both became the other magic doners."

Mozen let out a low whistle. The girl grinned. "I know! Stupid! So, in this form I have the powers of Mirage and Phasir combined, and in my other form, I have the powers of a sorceror and a witch of the sand!"

Aladdin frowned down at Carpet, still hugging Iago to his chest. Iago leant back.

"What is it Al? I know that face..." Iago said.

"What's your name?" Aladdin called.

"Destiny." She replied. "My other form is called Hessa." Iago snorted, and everyone looked at him.

"What? Hessa _means_ Destiny! Don't you get it?" He sniggered. Aladdin ignored him.

"Can we see Hessa?" He asked. Destiny spun around on the spot, and there was a flash.

"No...way." Iago said in shock.

"What?" Asked Hessa.

Everyone stared at the girl- she was now slightly shorter. Her skin was paler and her hair was curled- much like the man standing beside her. Her eyes were a similar shape to Mozen's too. Unlike Mozen, her eyes were blue, and her hair was a dusty blonde colour. A small pigtail hung in a Sadira-fashion next to her eye.

"Ahem..." Iago said. "Just outta curiosity, were the sorceror and sand witch's names Mozenr-... and Sadira?"

"Yup." Hessa said, now picking at her mamluk clothes in disgust. "Lucky things don't know I exist!"

"I think they do... or at least, Mozen does." Aladdin winced.

Hessa looked up and squinted at Aladdin, puzzled. Then she swung her head to look at Mozen, golden hair shimmering. Her eyes widened.

"Are you Mozen?" She asked. Mozen nodded silently. Hessa looked embarrassed. "Oh. I... really don't know what to say to you."

"Hello." Cassim stepped forward. "I'm Cassim. Mozen and Aladdin's father." He forced a smile despite the weirdness.

"Hi!" Hessa smiled, and shook his hand. As she did so, she glanced at her surroundings. "Whoa. Like the magic, huh D- Mozen?"

Mozen (almost flinching at the "D-"), nodded. Hessa smiled, and held up her right hand, in a manner that would suggest that she wanted it to be kissed, but Mozen focused on something on her ring finger.

"What do you think? Nicked it off'a Destane." Hessa smiled. Mozen stared in awe at the silver ring on her finger- it had four circular, smooth, red jewels on it.

"No..." Mozen breathed. Aladdin sat up on Carpet, trying to get a better look.

"What is it?" He asked.

"The Genie of the Ring!" Xerxes lisped. Mozen had shown the Ring's illustration to him many times. Mozen had given up hopes of finding it as it had disappeared without a trace many years ago.

"What- lemme see if I got this right." Iago said. "You used spend all ya time, tryna capture our annoyingly blue buddy, when all along, one of your Mamluks was wearing one on its finger for the world to see?" Iago stared at Mozen, holding his breath. Iago and Aladdin looked at each other and rolled around on Carpet, laughing.

Mozen took an irritable blast at Carpet's underside, causing Aladdin to almost fall off. Aladdin managed to hang on, and glare at Mozen (which was pointless, since he was to busy looking at the ring).

Hessa glanced around. "So... what are you doing?"

"Removing traces of Destane from this place." Cassim said promptly. "First restoring the Mamluks back to the villagers they used to be. Then just... making it a city again."

Hessa looked elated. "That's great!" She turned slowly to look at Mozen. "Hey... um- I know this is kinda awkward, but... could I stay here? I mean, not necessarily in the Citadel, but maybe in one of the houses down there?" She pointed out of the window.

Mozen shook his head. "Those houses haven't been used for years. They'll be freezing. I trust you know your way around?"

"Of course."

"Then you could just find a spare room... since we're technically family." Mozen straightened up. "Now, I have to reverse more Mamluks." He marched out of the room, Xerxes close behind.

"Well, nice meeting you." Hessa mumbled.

"He'll come around." Cassim assured her. "It must be awkward to discover that you've had a sort-of child, all ready growing up."

Aladdin stiffened. "Dad, Hessa, I'm gonna go now."

"Okay." Hessa said, perfectly cheerfully, and skipped out the room. Cassim eyed Aladdin with concern.

"Aladdin, are you-?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Aladdin said. "I should just be back at Agrabah right now."

"All right." Cassim said slowly.

Aladdin smiled weakly at him, then Carpet turned and flew out of the window with Iago hugging Aladdin's arm like a baby.


	31. Chapter 31 Black and Gold

Black and Gold

Sadira tried to force herself to focus on her cooking. "_You will learn how to make soup. __You will learn how to make soup. You will-" _She kept muttering under her breath whilst stirring the cauldron of the bubbling brown liquid. She dipped her (stolen) silver ladle into the soup and sniffed the often-misleadingly nice aroma that wafted from it and cautiously sipped the soup.

Sadira was surprised to find it tasted delicious. She stepped back and stared at the cauldron. She had only been _practising_ her cooking- she hadn't expected to turn out _good._ So now she had the problem of a massive cauldron of soup.

Sadira sighed. "Looks like re-heated soup's gonna be my dinner for the rest of the month." She muttered to herself. She placed a clean piece of linen over the caldron and tugged the cauldron into the unlighted fire. She could light it whenever she was hungry.

Sadira wandered away from the cauldron and began pacing the room slowly in random directions, trying to avoid making a pattern. She walked back over to the cauldron again, and peeked beneath it, before turning around and freezing.

Sadira's footprints from her pacing had pretty much drawn Mozenrath's face. It was his face from the side, head turned slightly down, eyelids low...

Sadira slapped her palm against her face to inturrupt the train of thought.

"Great." Sadira said. She waved her hand over the sand, causing a light breeze to blow over the sand, causing the image to vanish.

"Stupid sand powers." Sadira muttered irritably. She blinked, and her mind was swamped with _another _image of Mozenrath.

This time, it was a moving one- when they had got back to the Palace, after his turban had just been ruined by Xerxes. Sadira had been behind him- she could picture it: Mozenrath walking in front of her, curled black hair free from his usual headgear...

SLAP! Sadira hit herself in the forehead. "Stop it." She hissed to herself, and went back to pacing, making sure she didn't create Mozenrath's face.

"ARGH!" An irritated wail sounded from beneath Sadira's feet. She froze and looked down to see a sandworm., "Stop it! I'm tryna sleep!" It moaned.

"I- I'm sorry." Sadira said in surprise. The worm twitched.

"What are you worried about?" It asked.

"Um... well, there's this... guy..." Sadira whispered. She tailed off.

"Not the same one as last time?" The worm had listened to Sadira's private mutterings for months.

"No... his brother..." Sadira said, blushing. The worm perked up in interest.

"Really? A twist! What makes you like him?"

"I... I don't know, he just... but it's impossible! He was a psycho until yesterday!" She burst out.

The worm paused, remembering the times Jasmine had come down to visit Sadira. They had talked about endless things meaningless to the worm, from clothes to monster-fighting. Who was the one Jasmine had said was evil, but seemed to resemble Aladdin (not that she'd ever said that to her fianceé)?

"Mozenrath?" The worm asked. Sadira jumped and blushed.

"Yeah... him." She said finally.

"The one with powers over _black_ sand?" The worm asked. Had it had eyebrows, they would have been raised.

Sadira nodded.

"Black and gold..." The worm mused.

"Cy-ry!" A different voice shrieked from under the sand. The worm flinched.

"The missus summons me." It grumbled.

"Your name is Cy-ry?" Sadira grinned.

"_Yes."_ Cy-ry said defensively, before disappearing into the sand.

Sadira stepped back, and began thinking about what Cy-ry had said. "Black and gold... no, it's impossible! Yesterday must have been an exception! Aladdin and... Mozenrath, are probably back to being enemies again!"

Sadira rubbed her hand against her cheek. "Black and gold... impossible. Black and gold, as impossible as... as if trees grew upside down, or, or if rain turned to dust, or..." Sadira took a deep breath.

"If the fish swam out of the ocean, grew legs and started walking  
And the apes climbed out from the trees, and grew tall and started talking  
And the stars fall out of the sky, and my tears rolled into the ocean  
Now I'm looking for a reason why, you set my world into motion

'Cause if you're not really here, then the stars don't even matter  
Now I feel too tall, we all fear  
But it's all just a bunch of matter  
'Cause if you're not really here, then I don't want to be either  
I want be next to you  
Black and gold, black and gold, black gold

I looked up into the night sky and see I saw an eye staring back  
And all around these golden beacons I see nothing but black  
I feel a wave of something beyond though, I don't see what I can feel  
If vision is the only validation, then most of my life isn't real

'Cause if you're not really here, then the stars don't even matter  
Now I feel too tall, we all fear  
But it's all just a bunch of matter  
'Cause if you're not really here, then I don't want to be either  
I want be next to you  
Black and gold, black and gold, black gold

I want to be next to you, I want to be next to you..

'Cause if you're not really here, then the stars don't even matter  
Now I feel too tall, we all fear  
But it's all just a bunch of matter  
'Cause if you're not really here, then I don't want to be either  
I want be next to you  
Black and gold, black and gold, black gold  
'Cause if you're not really here, then the stars don't even matter  
Now I feel too tall, we all fear  
But it's all just a bunch of matter  
'Cause if you're not really here, then I don't want to be either  
I want be next to you  
Black and gold, black and gold, black gold..."

She gasped, and shook herself. Just then, hundreds of sand worms appeared from the ground. Some were sobbing.

"That was beautiful!"  
"Why are you still here?"  
"Go! You need to go find him!"  
"We love you!"

Sadira stared at the worms, and stood up straight. "All right then. I'll go."

The worms cheered, but some panicked. "NO! NOT LIKE THAT!" They began scooping up sand with their tails and throwing it at Sadira, chanting.

"Hey!" Sadira spluttered, completely engulfed in sand.

"Tadddaaaaa!" The worms finished.

When the sand cleared, Sadira was wearing a light, mint-green dress. It was simple, but pretty. The dress was off-the shoulders and had long-sleeves, which flared at the wrists. The dress itself was long and straight, and the top half was a slightly lighter shade of green, and was similar to a corset, laced up at the front by silver threads. Sadira gasped,and looked at herself.

She peered at her shoes: silver, curled-toed slippers. Her hair was silky smooth, loose down her back. Nestled in her hair on the right side was a white rose, tinted mint-green at the tips of its petals.

"Ohh..." Sadira whispered. "Thank you so much! How can I repay you?"

"It doesn't matter-" Most of the worms began, but a small pink one piped up: "I'm hungry!" The others shifted around, mumbling their agreements.

Sadira smiled, and tipped up the soup she had made. The worms eagerly dove in to the soup-soaked sand. Just then, there was a blue glow behind her. Sadira turned to see a girl standing there.

Sadira felt a mixture of relief and disappointment that the visitor wasn't Mozenrath, and surprise also.

"Who are you?" She asked the girl.

The girl, who had frozen at the sight of Sadira cleared her throat. "Whoa. You look amazing! I...I'm Hessa." She smiled. "There's someone who wants to see you."

"Er... who?" Sadira asked.

"My father- no! I mean-!" Hessa shouted, realizing her mistake.

"Your father?"

"NO! He's not really, well, he is, but- oh no." Hessa rubbed her cheek with her hand. "Ok... long story. I'm not technically a person. I was born out of magic- and magic is as unique as you. Your powers are different to everyone elses. Anyway, the form I'm in now was made from to people's magic."

"Whose?" Sadira asked, knowing the answer.

"Yours, and... Mozen's." Hessa shook her head. "Sorry."

"That's fine! You can't choose your family." Sadira said. "Does that mean you are technically _my _daughter?"

Hessa nodded. "And I have on pretty mother!" Sadira smiled.

"Well..." Hessa smiled. "I'd better take you to see Mozen." Sadira nodded nervously as curly blue strands of magic surrounded her outline, and she disappeared.

* * *

When Sadira and Hessa appeared, they were at the gates of Mozenrath's kingdom. It still looked grim. Sadira shivered.

"It looks bad..." Hessa murmered. "But we're cleaning up. We don't have mamluks anymore!"

Sadira turned to her. "Really?"

"Yup. All the dangerous ones had their memories wiped, but everyone else has been turned into villagers. I was a mamluk until recently."

Sadira gasped. "Mozenrath-?"

"Oh no. Destane." Hessa corrected. Sadira shuddered. Hessa cleared her throat. "So, this is where I leave you."

"What?" Sadira blinked. "You aren't coming?"

"Well... no. Dad doesn't know you're here. Good luck!" With that, Hessa turned into a heap of sand. Sadira gulped, and began walking towards the looming Citadel.

With every step she took, Sadira found more and more villagers peering at her.

"Who is she?"  
"She's beautiful!"  
"Is she the queen we've been waiting for?"  
"She can't be real..."

Sadira kept her head held high as she made her way to the Citadel, looking at the blue crystals that lit up as she walked past.

* * *

"Mozenrath!" Xerxes called.

"Mozen." Mozenrath replied irritably.

"Intruder!" Xerxes said.

"What?" Mozenrath straightened up. "Who?"

"A witch." Xerxes said, smelling the air.

"All right." Mozenrath walked out the room. "I'll see what this hag wants."

* * *

Sadira stiffened as the doors in front of her opened with a **BOOM.** Her heart fluttered as Mozenrath walked out.

"Greetings, Witch." Mozenrath said. "Skip the formalities. What do... you-..." Mozenrath tailed off. "Sadira?"

For Sadira, it was one of the first times he had spoken her name. "Yes, Mozenrath?"

"Mozen." Xerxes corrected. Mozenrath swatted him away irritably.

"Mozen." Sadira corrected herself.

"You..." Mozenrath faltered. _Stop being stupid. _He snarled at himself. _You're the Lord of the Black Sand. If she makes a fool of you, vapourize her._ Mozenrath shook his head at the image. "You look beautiful."

Sadira blushed. "Thank you." They stared at each other for a moment.

"Would you like to come in?" Mozenrath said. Sadira nodded and smiled. Mozenrath held out his normal hand. Sadira took it.

Just before the doors closed, Mozenrath sent a small ball of magic out, which sailed into Hessa, who had been victory dancing a few feet away, knocking her flat on her back, still giggling.


	32. Chapter 32 Epilogue & Afterword

Epilougue + Afterword

Saleen laughed as she moulded the glowing white foam before her. "Have they forgotten about me, Armond?" She laughed. "Well, let them forget me. I haven't forgotten them."

Armond looked grumpy.

"And now, Armand, Saleen may walk the streets of Agrabah, through another." Saleen laughed, as she continued to mould the person before her out of sea foam.

* * *

Afterword 

Hee hee, can't forget Saleen! So, this is me, Gingerbizkits, FINALLY finishing this fanfic. Jeez, it's been going for... nearly a year! I began it in half term last year, and now look at me! Finishing it in half term!

Well, it's a relief, this has been nibbling the back of my mind for ages. _Finish me, finish me! Your readers await!_

THANK YOU so much to my readers- I truthfully didn't think ANYONE would like this fanfic, so when I already had two reviews in 2 minutes, I was awestruck!

Okay, many question the songs I used, so here they are:

**Chapter 17:** Same Things- Dido's _Hunter  
_**Chapter 18: **An Outsider's Interference- Girls Aloud's _Untouchable  
_**Chapter 31: **Black and Gold- Ellie Goulding's cover of _Black and Gold_

Okay :D

So, I have an IDEA for a sequel (i.e- I made up the second one BEFORE this one, which I made up as I went along, but had to write this one to explain the following points:  
-Why Aladdin and Mozenrath are not trying to kill each other  
-How Aladdin and Jasmine ended up with kids only a few years younger than themselves  
-Where Hessa came from  
-How Saleen got everyone's memories  
-How Mozenrath and Sadira ended up together and other things I haven't though of yet), and I'm wondering if you guys WANT me to type it :)

Oh yes- another reason I uploaded the first story was to test if anyone liked my writing style and inner workings of my odd mind :)

One more thing I have to say is I actually don't like fanfictions. Unless they are very true to the book/movie/series that they are based on. That's why when I first started Bad Blood, I had about four different segments of Aladdin's episodes open in different tabs, and wouldn't write down the characters saying anything I couldn't picture them saying (which got harder later on, as Mozenrath became more tolerant of Al&co, so I turned him into the sarcastic-mean-older brother type. I got kinda depressed partway through writing this upon realizing I have officially killed one of Aladdin's top enemies whilst writing this. Please forgive me!) and I HATE inventing new characters into fanfics. I hope Deja, Destane (ok, so I didn't ENTIRELY invent him, just his appearance and characteristics), Hessa, Rubith and Ali didn't offend anyone!

Enough ranting via me. Next installment of the Aladdin Blood Trilogy will be entitled Story Two: Ocean Blood. Guess who THATS gonna include :D

So, people tell me what you thought of the whole fanfiction- TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH though, but don't be too brutal :)


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